ADRC: Psychosocial Research & Support Program
Director: Mary Mittelman, Dr.P.H.

The Psychosocial Research and Support Program focuses on understanding the difficulties faced by people with cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease and their families, and tests interventions designed to improve their well being. In a landmark study that began in 1987 and is still continuing, Dr. Mittelman proved that counseling and support, individually tailored to the needs of each family, improves the well-being of caregivers, particularly by decreasing depression, and helps them keep their relatives with Alzheimer's disease living in the community. This federally funded research study of more than 400 caregivers has received national recognition and an award for innovation from the National Council on Aging. This intervention has been described in a recent book, Guiding the Alzheimer's Caregiver: A Resource for Healthcare Professionals, (AMA Press, 2002) which Dr. Mittelman wrote with two program staff members.

In 1999, Dr. Mittelman, in collaboration with researchers at Prince Henry Hospital in Sydney, Australia, developed the first multinational research study to test the effect of providing people with Alzheimer's disease with medication while providing their families with counseling. The three-year study was offered at three sites, at the NYU ADRC in New York, the Prince Henry Hospital in Sydney, Australia and Withington Hospital, University of Manchester, in Manchester, England. Although final results are not yet available, important preliminary findings have shown that in each country, families come to counseling with very different issues ranging from cultural beliefs regarding counseling to issues of healthcare policy in each nation.

Additional research of the program includes a well-received supportive intervention to help people whose parents have Alzheimer's disease enhance their caregiving experience with novel strategies for interactions with their parents; as well as a current collaborative study focused on understanding the psychological aspects of living with symptoms of Mild Cognitive Impairment for both the person with the condition and their spouse.

A very recent study is a demonstration project to improve the treatment of people with Alzheimer's disease in acute care settings. The aim of the program is to coordinate the efforts of healthcare staff, family members and volunteers to make the hospital stay of dementia patients as comfortable and problem-free as possible and to help maintain the highest possible level of functioning for these patients. This study, still ongoing, has already indicated important areas for change in the current healthcare system to accommodate Alzheimer's disease.

Click here for VIPS (Become a Research Volunteer)