Study published on e-mental health intervention preferences among informal caregivers of people with chronic kidney disease

The study is based on semistructured interviews with 13 informal caregivers in the UK. The aim was to explore how future e-mental health interventions should be designed and delivered.

The results highlight several key preferences. Caregivers valued an e-mental health intervention with information about chronic kidney disease and resources to support them in their caregiving role. Ensuring support was available within the intervention was also desired – with it being important to incorporate ways to tailor the support to meet caregiver’s individual preferences (e.g. availability of multiple support format options, having support providers available with different skills and knowledge). Involving informal caregivers in the intervention development process and leveraging trusted information sources when promoting the intervention were important strategies to build trust in the intervention.

– E-mental health interventions are a promising approach to better support caregivers of people living with chronic kidney disease, but research in this area has been limited. This study is an important first step to understanding what this group of caregivers want in an e-mental health intervention and will help ensure future intervention development is grounded in caregivers’ preferences, says the study’s first author Chelsea Coumoundouros.

Miro Anter