WECARE: A personalized intervention for underserved Chinese American dementia caregivers

Family caregivers of persons living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) experience high levels of psychosocial distress due to prolonged and intensive caregiving. Persistent challenges remain among dementia caregivers, with some groups experiencing poorer health outcomes. Of particular concern are caregivers with limited English proficiency such as Chinese Americans who face barriers in communication, service navigation, and care. These challenges include misperception of dementia, limited caregiving skills, lack of social support, and restricted access to social services. To date, little research has been focused on this population. Accordingly, the goal of this R01 application is to conduct a Stage 2 efficacy trial of Wellness Enhancement for Caregivers (WECARE), a personalized digital health intervention designed for Chinese American dementia caregivers. Based on behavioral theories and extensive preliminary studies, the 7-week WECARE program offers multimedia content, quiz-embedded games, personalized feedback, location-specific resources, and social networks, all designed to enhance caregiving mastery and psychosocial wellbeing of the target users. A total of 160 participants will be recruited for an RCT with data collected at baseline and 3, 6 and 12 months. The efficacy of WECARE will be evaluated with depressive symptoms as the primary outcome. The implementation process will be assessed using mixed methods to identify barriers to and facilitators of WECARE’s adoption and sustained use. This application is directly responsive to NIA’s priority of effective interventions for ADRD-affected populations. If proven effective, the WECARE intervention will inform the development of personalized interventions for dementia caregivers. Project Number: 1R01AG090610-01A1 | Fiscal Year: 2025 | NIH Institute/Center: National Institute on Aging (NIA) | Principal Investigator: Y. Alicia Hong | Institution: GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY, FAIRFAX, VA | Award Amount: $677,026 | Activity Code: R01 | Study Section: Special Emphasis Panel[ZRG1 CCHI-R (91)] View on NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11229941