Telephone Assessment and Skill-Building Intervention for Stroke Caregivers (TASK II)

• Depressive symptoms: Patient Health Questionnaire Depression Scale (PHQ-9) [ Time Frame: Change in depressive symptoms from baseline to 8 weeks ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  Among caregivers who screen positive for depressive symptoms at baseline, those randomized to the TASK II intervention will have a greater reduction in depressive symptoms compared to those randomized to the ISR group from baseline to 8 weeks, after controlling for selected covariates. Long-term, sustained efficacy will be assessed at 12 and 24 weeks, and at 1 year.
  
  
• Caregiving-related negative life changes: Bakas Caregiving Outcomes Scale (BCOS) [ Time Frame: Change in caregiving-related negative life changes from baseline to 8 weeks ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  Caregivers randomized to the TASK II group will have a greater reduction in caregiving-related negative life changes compared with those randomized to the ISR group from baseline to 8 weeks, after controlling for selected covariates. Long-term, sustained efficacy will be assessed at 12 and 24 weeks, and at 1 year.
  
  
• Unhealthy days: Unhealthy Days (UD) [ Time Frame: Change in unhealthy days from baseline to 8 weeks ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  Caregivers randomized to the TASK II group will have a greater reduction in unhealthy days compared with those randomized to the ISR group from baseline to 8 weeks, after controlling for selected covariates. Long-term, sustained efficacy will be assessed at 12 and 24 weeks, and at 1 year.
  
  

• Task difficulty: Oberst Caregiving Burden Scale Difficulty Subscale (OCBS) [ Time Frame: Change in task difficulty from baseline to 8 weeks ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  Caregivers randomized to the TASK II group will have a greater reduction in task difficulty compared with those randomized to the ISR group from baseline to 8 weeks, after controlling for selected covariates. Long-term, sustained efficacy will be assessed at 12 and 24 weeks, and at 1 year.
  
  
• Optimism: Revised Life Orientation Test (LOT-R) [ Time Frame: Change in optimism from baseline to 8 weeks ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  Caregivers randomized to the TASK II group will have a greater increase in optimism compared with those randomized to the ISR group from baseline to 8 weeks, after controlling for selected covariates. Long-term, sustained efficacy will be assessed at 12 and 24 weeks, and at 1 year.
  
  
• Threat appraisal: Appraisal of Caregiving Threat Subscale (ACS) [ Time Frame: Change in threat appraisal from baseline to 8 weeks ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  Caregivers randomized to the TASK II group will have a greater reduction in threat appraisal compared with those randomized to the ISR group from baseline to 8 weeks, after controlling for selected covariates. Long-term, sustained efficacy will be assessed at 12 and 24 weeks, and at 1 year.
  
  

Stroke is the number one cause of disability in the United States, and over 4 million stroke survivors are alive today. Many stroke survivors need the help of a family caregiver. A family caregiver is a family member or close friend who helps the stroke survivor once they go home. Many caregivers need information and support during the first few months after the stroke survivor is discharged home. One group of caregivers will receive the TASK II intervention and another group of caregivers will receive existing educational materials about stroke and caregiving through an information, support, and referral (ISR) process. Both groups of caregivers will receive written materials about stroke and caregiving by mail and weekly telephone calls by a nurse for a total of 8 weeks, with an additional call at 12 weeks. A research assistant will also call by telephone at the beginning of the study, and at 8, 12, and 24 weeks after the beginning of the study, with a follow-up call at 1 year to interview both groups of caregivers about their caregiving activities and about their own health and well-being. If shown to be efficacious, our next goal will be to translate the TASK II intervention into practice settings to meet current recommendations and guidelines that emphasize follow up care for stroke survivors and their family caregivers.