Process evaluation of a culturally tailored, mental health program for Vietnamese American dementia caregivers

Background Dementia caregivers (DCGs) have poorer mental health compared to the general population, but research on responding to those needs in culturally diverse populations such as Vietnamese American (VA) DCGs is limited. This study describes the process evaluation of a culturally tailored, evidence‐based skill‐building program, Our Family Journey (OFJ), to reduce stress and depression among VA DCGs in San Jose, California, USA. Method We examined process components (program fidelity, dose delivered, dose received, and reach) of an intervention for 60 VA DCGs who were randomly assigned to either the intervention, (OFJ; n=30) or to the control condition (written dementia caregiving information; n=30). Result Translated from a 6‐weeks evidence‐based program, the culturally tailored, Vietnamese OFJ was reduced to 4 weeks for optimal attendance and participation ( program fidelity ). Modifications in content and process were developed with input from the creator of OFJ and a large community‐based organization serving VAs. Cultural tailoring included delivering the program in Vietnamese, with material incorporating culturally appropriate values and activities. For example, pleasant activities included cooking Vietnamese food and doing karaoke rather than the original program’s emphasis on solitary activities (e.g., reading a book). Discussions about filial piety and stigma were included, as these topics were very relevant to VAs ( program fidelity ). All 4 sessions were conducted as planned for each of the six OFJ cohorts (mean number of participants per cohort was 4.8) ( dose delivered and dose received ). Accommodations were provided for DCGs as needed – e.g., when they could not attend a session, they were offered the make‐up session. A total of 112 interested persons contacted research staff; 88 were eligible to participate. Final enrollment was 60 caregivers ( reach) . Feedback from participants included: expanding eligibility criteria to include other family caregivers; incorporating more cultural ...