NCT07531082
Effects of a Salutogenic Strength-based Social Robot-assisted Intervention on the Depressive Symptoms and Sense of Coherence of Family Caregivers of Persons With Dementia
Not Yet Recruiting · Not Applicable · The Hong Kong Polytechnic University · registry updated 2026-04-15
Inclusion and exclusion lines below are quoted from ClinicalTrials.gov. No match score is shown, because a score needs a person's age, biomarkers, and treatment dates. Confirm the record with the study team.
Family caregivers of persons with dementia (PwD) are well known to be "invisible patients." Existing studies have suggested that sense of coherence (SOC), a core inner strength, could be a protective factor against depression among family caregivers of PwD. However, few interventions are available to enhance the SOC and thereby the emotional and psychological health of this population. While in-home social robots are viewed as a useful addition to caring for PwD, the use of social robots with family caregivers as the primary audience are vastly under-investigated. In response, the investigators have developed a strength-based, robot-assisted intervention based on Antonovsky's theory of saluotogenesis for family caregivers of PwD. The feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects of the robot on family caregivers of PwD have been confirmed, with recommendations for examining its applicability among this population in a full trial. This study aims to examine the effects of a salutogenic strength-based, robot-assisted intervention on improving depressive symptoms in family caregivers of PwD....
Inclusion
- those aged 18 years or older;
- family caregivers of PwD who had been clinically diagnosed;
- are living in the same household as the PwD;
- providing daily caregiving for ≥ 4 hours /day;
- have mild-to-moderate depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 score of 5-14) (Yu et al., 2012); and
- are able to speak Cantonese.
Exclusion
- those who have been diagnosed with a mental disorder such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, dementia, or depression in an acute stage;
- those with a visual or hearing impairment that would interfere with the use of a robot;
- those currently using a social robot at home; and
- who have limited access to electricity at home.