Cognitive behavioral therapy versus general health education for family caregivers of individuals with heart failure: a pilot randomized controlled trial

Table 4 Outcome scores at follow-up, mean change scores by study group, and effect sizes

	Post-intervention			6-month follow-up			Baseline to post-intervention			Baseline to 6-month follow-up
	N	Mean	SD	N	Mean	SD	Mean change^a	SD	Effect size (95% CI)^b	Mean change^a	SD	Effect size (95% CI)^b
Cortisol awakening response^c									−0.06
GHE group	11	0.14	0.20				0.016	0.17	(−0.91,
CBT group	10	0.14	0.14				0.003	0.27	0.80)
Area under the curve^d									0.78
GHE group	10	1993.19	362.53				− 161.93	343.33	(−0.16,
CBT group	10	2050.94	238.58				39.57	131.53	1.65)
Caregiver burden									0.10			−0.04
GHE group	11	11.36	6.77	9	10.56	7.16	−2.36	5.37	(−0.76,	−1.89	2.67	(−0.96,
CBT group	10	12.10	9.05	9	11.56	10.56	−1.80	6.32	0.95)	−2.11	7.82	0.89)
Perceived stress									−0.53			−0.81
GHE group	11	15.45	6.38	9	15.00	8.75	−1.27	6.60	(−1.38,	0.11	6.66	(−1.73,
CBT group	10	12.00	8.03	9	12.56	8.63	−4.10	3.31	0.36)	−4.44	4.36	0.19)
Stress symptoms									−0.67			−1.06
GHE group	11	36.45	35.68	9	32.44	34.82	−1.27	13.88	(−1.52,	3.78	18.43	(−1.99,
CBT group	10	29.14	26.71	9	28.44	30.33	−10.66	14.01	0.23)	−13.67	14.21	−0.03)
Depression									−0.53			−1.04
GHE group	11	4.91	3.96	9	4.11	4.81	−1.09	4.74	(−1.38,	0.33	2.06	(−1.97,
CBT group	10	3.30	4.42	9	4.00	4.30	−3.40	3.86	0.36)	−3.33	4.56	−0.01)
Anxiety									−0.17			−0.75
GHE group	11	3.09	4.04	9	2.67	3.00	−2.00	4.10	(−1.02,	−0.89	3.89	(−1.66,
CBT group	10	3.90	4.20	9	3.44	3.68	−2.60	2.88	0.70)	−3.56	3.24	0.24)

CBT cognitive behavioral therapy, GHE general health education
^aMean change scores were computed by subtracting the baseline score from the follow-up score using pairwise deletion: i.e., post-intervention score – baseline score; 6-month score – baseline score
^bEffect sizes (Cohen’s d) were computed by subtracting the mean change scores in the GHE group from the mean change scores in the CBT group and dividing the result by the pooled SD: i.e., (mean change in the CBT group – mean change in the GHE group)/pooled SD
^cThe cortisol awakening response was computed as the difference in log-transformed cortisol values from waking to 30 min post-awakening
^dThe area under the curve was computed using log-transformed cortisol values. The bedtime cortisol value was not available for 1 caregiver (GHE group) at baseline

ISSN: 1471-2318