RecruitingInterventional

A brief psychosocial therapy intervention for dementia carers

The Kindred study is looking at a new online program designed for family carers supporting someone with dementia who is experiencing challenging behaviours like anxiety or aggression. This free program offers digital resources, coaching, and peer support. Researchers want to find out if using Kindred helps carers feel less stressed, more confident, and improves their mood. They will also observe if the person with dementia's symptoms change over a 4-week period. Your participation could help decide if this program should be made available to more carers across the UK. The study is run by the University of Exeter Medical School and is for carers aged 18 and over.

At a glance

Status

Recruiting

Sponsor

University of Exeter

Enrolment target

220

Start

01 May 2026

Estimated completion

31 Jul 2026

Carers supporting people with dementia who are experiencing neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) such as aggression, irritability, depression, anxiety and suspiciousness

What is this study about?

This study is exploring a new online support program called Kindred, specifically designed for family carers who look after someone with dementia. We know that caring for someone with dementia can be challenging, especially when they show difficult behaviours like being agitated, anxious, or irritable. These behaviours, sometimes called neuropsychiatric symptoms, can be very upsetting for both the person with dementia and their carer.

Kindred is a free program that combines online tools, live coaching, and a chance to connect with other carers. It builds on previous research that found similar support helped professional carers and improved the well-being of people with dementia in care homes. This new study wants to see if Kindred can offer the same benefits to family carers looking after loved ones at home. The main goal is to find out if this program helps family carers feel more confident and less stressed, and improves their mood.

Ultimately, if Kindred proves to be helpful, the aim is to make it available to many more carers across the country. Your involvement could play a big part in making this valuable support more widely accessible for families dealing with the challenges of dementia.

Key takeaways

Tests a free online support program (Kindred) for dementia carers.
Aims to reduce carer stress and improve confidence.
Participants are randomly assigned to groups to ensure fair results.
All participants will eventually get access to the Kindred program.
Your involvement helps decide if the program becomes more widely available.
Study runs from May to December 2026.

Who may be eligible?

You might be able to take part in this study if you are 18 years old or older and are currently caring for someone who has been diagnosed with dementia by a doctor.

It's important that the person you care for is experiencing some challenging symptoms related to their dementia, such as feeling anxious, depressed, irritable, or agitated. These are symptoms that are not severe enough to immediately need a doctor's urgent attention or strong medication.

You would not be able to join the study if the person you care for has very severe challenging symptoms that need immediate medical help because they are causing significant risk or distress.

Could this study suit you?

Answer these quick questions to see if you may be eligible. This is a guide only — the research team makes the final call.

Are you 18 years old or older?
Are you currently caring for someone diagnosed with dementia?
Is the person you care for showing symptoms like anxiety, irritability, or low mood?
Are these symptoms not so severe that they need urgent medical attention?
Do you have access to the internet for online coaching and resources?

Answer every question to see your result.

What does participation involve?

If you decide to take part, you'll first have a meeting with a research team member online, which will take about 20 minutes. During this, you'll talk about the challenging symptoms the person you care for is experiencing. You'll also fill out some short questionnaires about your own well-being, how you handle your caring role, and your confidence, which takes about 15 minutes.

After this, you'll be randomly placed into one of two groups. Half of the participants will immediately get access to the Kindred online program and weekly coaching sessions for 4 weeks. The other half will continue with their usual support for these 4 weeks. This random placement helps make sure the study results are fair. Everyone will still complete the same assessments after 4 weeks. Once these 4 weeks are over, everyone in the study will get full access to the Kindred program and coaching.

If you're in the group that accesses Kindred straight away, you can use the online resources as much or as little as you like. You'll also be invited to join a 60-minute online coaching group each week with a few other carers. The total time you'd be involved in the study is at least 4 weeks, during which you'll have two assessment points: one at the beginning and one after 4 weeks.

Potential risks and benefits

Taking part in this study has very few disadvantages and is considered low risk. Some people might find it difficult or upsetting to talk about their challenging experiences, and if this happens, you can choose not to answer any questions, take a break, or stop taking part at any time. The main commitment is the time needed for the assessments and, for those in the intervention group, participating in the coaching sessions. All the information you share will be kept private and only seen by the research team. A potential benefit is that using the Kindred program, with its coaching and peer support, might help you feel more confident and less stressed in your caring role. You might also learn new ways to support the person you care for. Your participation is really valuable because it will help us understand if this program is effective enough to be offered more widely to other carers in the future.

Locations (1)

University of Exeter
Approximate
Exeter, England

Common questions

What is the Kindred program?

Kindred is a free online program offering digital resources, live coaching, and peer support for family carers of people with dementia.

Who can take part in this study?

Adults aged 18 or over who are caring for someone with dementia who is showing challenging behaviours, like anxiety or irritability.

What does 'randomised' mean?

It means you'll be put into a group by chance – either getting the Kindred program right away or after 4 weeks – to make the study fair.

Will my GP be told I'm participating?

Yes, the study team would like to inform your GP that you are taking part in the study.

What happens if I don't like it?

You can skip questions, take breaks, or stop taking part in the study at any time without giving a reason.

How to find out more

Clive Ballard

c.ballard@exeter.ac.uk +44 (0)1392722911 Official trial record

Always speak to your GP or specialist before deciding to take part in a study.