Effects of a Single-Session Online Therapy Program for Family and Friends of Long-Term Care Residents

What is this Study about?

This study explores the experiences of family and friends of long-term care residents. It focuses on how they experience stress, burden, and mental health challenges, and how a single-session online Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) or educational materials may help. We will use the information gathered from questionnaires and interventions to understand the effectiveness of these supports and to develop recommendations for improving resources, strategies, and interventions to better meet the needs of family and friends, helping them manage stress and maintain wellbeing while caring for someone in long-term care.

What Will Happen in This Study?

If you participate, you’ll complete a brief eligibility screening and enrolment meeting via Zoom (≈10 minutes) to confirm you meet study criteria and live in Canada. You’ll then complete online questionnaires about your caregiving experiences (≈15–30 minutes). Next, you’ll be randomly assigned to either a single, self-guided online Acceptance and Commitment Therapy session or online educational materials on caregiver stress (≈45 minutes). Follow-up questionnaires will be sent 2 weeks and 3 months later. The total time commitment is about 1.5 hours, including the enrolment meeting, questionnaires, session or materials, and follow-ups.

Who is Eligible to Participate in this Study?

You are eligible to participate if you:

- are at least 18 years old

- currently reside in Canada

- have a family member or friend who currently lives in long-term care

- are not currently receiving psychological treatment

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