Back to selection
57353-01 - Practical seminar: Development, Testing, and Implementation of Psychoeducational Interventions for Chronically Ill Patients and/or Their Family Caregivers (4 CP)
| Semester | spring semester 2026 |
| Course frequency | Every spring sem. |
| Lecturers |
Maria Katapodi (maria.katapodi@unibas.ch, Assessor)
Lisa Clara Schiess (lisa.schiess@unibas.ch) |
| Content | Students focus on psychoeducational interventions for chronically ill patients and their family caregivers. The focus is on critical examination of the theoretical bases, designs, methods, data analyses, conclusions, and significance of multidisciplinary interventions directed at achieving positive outcomes for chronically ill individuals and their family caregivers in differing age groups and of diverse racial/ethnic heritage. Special attention is given to the familiar contexts for interventions and to the use of technology in designing, implementing, and evaluating interventions. Students synthesize related research for a chronic disease entity (e.g, cancer, dementia, etc.) hypothesize the applicability of findings to practice and health policy, and propose future directions in intervention research significant to advancing knowledge in the field. Students will focus on intervention research with a specific population. |
| Learning objectives | Upon successful completion of this course, the students will be able to: 1. Analyze the theoretical bases of intervention strategies for chronically ill patients and their family caregivers across the lifespan. 2. Critically analyze the contributions of intervention research to eliminating disparities across groups, individuals, and their families. 3. Critique research measuring the outcomes of interventions designed to assist individuals and families in achieving health promotion goals. 4. Evaluate the significance of research findings and their applications to practice and to health policy. 5. Synthesize knowledge from research findings across intervention studies. 6. Evaluate the appropriate use and efficacy of the use of technology in intervention research. |
| Bibliography | March 17th 2026 Introduction to the course: Historical view of research on family caregiving (Prof. Dr. Katapodi/ MSc Lisa Schiess) Readings week 1 1) Giunta N. (2010). The National Family Caregiver Support Program: a multivariate examination of state-level implementation. J Aging Soc Policy. 22(3):249-66. doi: 10.1080/08959420.2010.485523. PMID: 20589553 2) Lambert SD, Ould Brahim L, Morrison M, Girgis A, Yaffe M, Belzile E, Clayberg K, Robinson J, Thorne S, Bottorff JL, Duggleby W, Campbell-Enns H, Kim Y, Loiselle CG (2019). Priorities for caregiver research in cancer care: an international Delphi survey of caregivers, clinicians, managers, and researchers. Support Care Cancer. 27(3):805-817. doi: 10.1007/s00520-018-4314-y. Epub 2018 Jul 31. PMID: 30062587 3) Cameron JI (2021). Family caregiving research: Reflecting on the past to inform the future J Spinal Cord Med;44(sup1):S19-S22. doi: 10.1080/10790268.2021.1970883. March 24th 2026 Designing interventions: Understanding the problem (Prof. Dr. Katapodi) Readings week 2 1) Ferrell B, Wittenberg E (2017). A review of family caregiving intervention trials in oncology. CA Cancer J Clin. 67(4):318-325. doi: 10.3322/caac.21396. PMID: 28319263 2) Longacre ML, Weber-Raley L, Kent EE. (2019) Cancer Caregiving While Employed: Caregiving Roles, Employment Adjustments, Employer Assistance, and Preferences for Support. J Cancer Educ. doi: 10.1007/s13187-019-01674-4. PMID: 31858439 3) Matthys O, Dierickx S, Deliens L, Lapeire L, Hudson P, van Audenhove C, de Vleminck A, Cohen J (2022). How are family caregivers of people with a serious illness supported by healthcare professionals in their caregiving tasks? A cross-sectional survey of bereaved family caregivers. Palliat Med;36(3):529-539.doi: 10.1177/02692163211070228. 4) Mollica MA, Smith AW, Kent EE. (2019). Caregiving tasks and unmet supportive care needs of family caregivers: A U.S. population-based study. Patient Educ Couns. pii: S0738-3991(19)30472-0. doi: 10.1016/j.pec.2019.10.015. PMID: 31704030 5) Nemati S, Rassouli M, Ilkhani M, Baghestani AR. (2018). Perceptions of family caregivers of cancer patients about the challenges of caregiving: a qualitative study. Scand J Caring Sci. 2(1):309-316. doi: 10.1111/scs.12463. PMID: 28869659 March 31st 2026 Designing interventions: Intervention theory (Prof. Dr. Katapodi/ MSc Lisa Schiess) Readings week 3 1) Coelho A, de Brito M, Teixeira P, Frade P, Barros L, Barbosa A. (2019). Family Caregivers' Anticipatory Grief: A Conceptual Framework for Understanding Its Multiple Challenges. Qual Health Res. doi: 10.1177/1049732319873330. PMID: 31526106 2) Jecker NS (2002). Taking care of one's own: justice and family caregiving. Theor Med Bioeth. 23(2):117-33. PMID:12400898 3) Kelley DE, Kent EE, Litzelman K, Mollica MA, Rowland JH. (2019) Dyadic associations between perceived social support and cancer patient and caregiver health: An actor-partner interdependence modeling approach. Psychooncology. 28(7):1453-1460. doi: 10.1002/pon.5096. PMID:30993811 4) Kim Y, Mitchell HR, Ting A. (2019). Application of psychological theories on the role of gender in caregiving to psycho-oncology research. Psycho-oncology. 28(2):228-254. doi: 10.1002/pon.4953. PMID: 30488661 5) Stansfeld J, Stoner CR, Wenborn J, Vernooij-Dassen M, Moniz-Cook E, Orrell M. (2017) Positive psychology outcome measures for family caregivers of people living with dementia: a systematic review. Int Psychogeriatr. 29(8):1281-1296. doi: 10.1017/S1041610217000655. PMID: 28511738 April 14th 2026 Designing interventions: Clarifying elements of interventions Targeted vs. tailored interventions Use of technology (Prof. Dr. Katapodi/ MSc Lisa Schiess) Readings week 4 1) Badana ANS, Marino V, Haley WE (2019). Racial Differences in Caregiving: Variation by Relationship Type and Dementia Care Status. J Aging Health. 31(6):925-946. doi: 10.1177/0898264317743611. PMID: 29254432 2) Collins LM, Murphy SA, Nair VN, Strecher VJ. (2005). A strategy for optimizing and evaluating behavioral interventions. Ann Behav Med. 30(1):65-73. PMID: 16097907 3) Demiris G, Washington K, Ulrich CM, Popescu M, Oliver DP. (2019). Innovative Tools to Support Family Caregivers of Persons with Cancer: The Role of Information Technology. Semin Oncol Nurs. 35(4):384-388. doi: 10.1016/j.soncn.2019.06.013. PMID: 31229338 4) Northouse L, Schafenacker A, Barr KL, Katapodi M, Yoon H, Brittain K, Song L, Ronis DL, An L. (2014) A tailored Web-based psychoeducational intervention for cancer patients and their family caregivers. Cancer Nurs. 37(5):321-30. doi: 10.1097/NCC.0000000000000159. PMID:24945270 April 21st 2026 Evaluation of interventions: Acceptability, feasibility, usability (Prof. Dr. Katapodi) Readings week 5 1) Jimenez DE, Schulz R, Perdomo D, Lee CC, Czaja SJ. (2019). Implementation of a Psychosocial Intervention Program for Working Caregivers. J Appl Gerontol. 38(9):1206-1227. doi: 10.1177/0733464817748777. PMID: 29271282 2) Monton O, Lambert S, Belzile E, Mohr-Elzeki D. (2019) An evaluation of the suitability, readability, quality, and usefulness of online resources for family caregivers of patients with cancer. Patient Educ Couns. 102(10):1892-1897. doi: 10.1016/j.pec.2019.05.010. PMID: 31151780 3) Quinn CC, Staub S, Barr E, Gruber-Baldini A. (2019). Mobile Support for Older Adults and Their Caregivers: Dyad Usability Study. JMIR Aging. 2(1):e12276. doi: 10.2196/12276. PMID: 31518271 4) Steinhauser KE, Olsen A, Johnson KS, Sanders LL, Olsen M, Ammarell N, Grossoehme D. (2016). The feasibility and acceptability of a chaplain-led intervention for caregivers of seriously ill patients: A Caregiver Outlook pilot study. Palliat Support Care. 14(5):456-67. doi: 10.1017/S1478951515001248. PMID: 26513022 April 28th 2026 STUDY WEEK Student preparation time for proposal May 5th 2026 Implementation of interventions: Intervention manual, Interventionists, Fidelity (Prof. Dr. Katapodi) Readings week 7 1) Lindauer A, McKenzie G, LaFazia D, McNeill L, Mincks K, Spoden N, Myers M, Mattek N, Teri LL (2019). Using Technology to Facilitate Fidelity Assessments: The Tele-STAR Caregiver Intervention. J Med Internet Res. 24;21(5): e13599. doi: 10.2196/13599. PMID: 31127721 2) Shepherd-Banigan M, Kaufman BG, Decosimo K, Dadolf J, Boucher NA, Mahanna EP, Bruening R, Sullivan C, Wang V, Hastings SN, Allen KD, Sperber N, Coffman CJ, Van Houtven CH. (2020). Adaptation and Implementation of a Family Caregiver Skills Training Program: From Single Site RCT to Multisite Pragmatic Intervention. J Nurs Scholarsh. 52(1):23-33. doi: 10.1111/jnu.12511. PMID: 31497935 May 12th 2026 Evaluation of interventions: Effectiveness of interventions (Prof. Dr. Katapodi) --> Critique of students’ 1st draft Readings week 8 1) Longacre ML, Applebaum AJ, Buzaglo JS, Miller MF, Golant M, Rowland JH, Given B, Dockham B, Northouse L. (2018) Reducing informal caregiver burden in cancer: evidence-based programs in practice. Transl Behav Med. 8(2):145-155. doi: 10.1093/tbm/ibx028. PMID: 29385550 2) Samia LW, Aboueissa AM, Halloran J, Hepburn K. (2014). The Maine Savvy Caregiver Project: translating an evidence-based dementia family caregiver program within the RE-AIM Framework. J Gerontol Soc Work. 57(6-7):640-61. doi: 10.1080/01634372.2013.859201. PMID: 24830961 3) Titler MG, Visovatti MA, Shuman C, Ellis KR, Banerjee T, Dockham B, Yakusheva O, Northouse L. (2017). Effectiveness of implementing a dyadic psychoeducational intervention for cancer patients and family caregivers. Cancer Nurs. 39(3):169-80. doi: 10.1097/NCC.0000000000000311. PMID: 26496519 4) Youens D, Parsons R, Toye C, Slatyer S, Aoun S, Hill KD, Skinner M, Maher S, Davis S, Osseiran-Moisson R, Moorin R. (2019). The cost-effectiveness of a telephone-based intervention to support caregivers of older people discharged from hospital. BMC Geriatr. 2019 19(1):68. doi: 10.1186/s12877-019-1085-3. PMID:30832575 May 19th 2026 Evaluation of interventions: Efficacy of interventions - Effect size and meta-analysis (MSc Lisa Schiess) Readings week 9 1) Cheng ST, Mak EPM, Kwok T, Fung H, Lam LCW. (2019). Benefit-Finding Intervention Delivered Individually to Alzheimer Family Caregivers: Longer-Term Outcomes of a Randomized Double-Blind Controlled Trial. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. pii: gbz118. doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbz118. PMID: 31556447 2) Lund L, Ross L, Petersen MA, Sengelov L, Groenvold M. (2020). Improving information to caregivers of cancer patients: the Herlev Hospital Empowerment of Relatives through More and Earlier information Supply (HERMES) randomized controlled trial. Support Care Cancer. 28(2):939-950. doi: 10.1007/s00520-019-04900-3. PMID: 31177391 3) Moskowitz JT, Cheung EO, Snowberg KE, Verstaen A, Merrilees J, Salsman JM, Dowling GA. (2019). Randomized controlled trial of a facilitated online positive emotion regulation intervention for dementia caregivers. Health Psychol. 38(5):391-402. doi: 10.1037/hea0000680. PMID: 31045422 4) Northouse LL, Katapodi MC, Song L, Zhang L, Mood DW. (2010). Interventions with family caregivers of cancer patients: meta-analysis of randomized trials. CA Cancer J Clin. 2010 60(5):317-39. doi: 10.3322/caac.20081. Epub 2010 Aug 13. PMID:20709946 5) Yu DS, Li PW, Zhang F, Cheng ST, Ng TK, Judge KS. (2019). The effects of a dyadic strength-based empowerment program on the health outcomes of people with mild cognitive impairment and their family caregivers: a randomized controlled trial. Clin Interv Aging. 14:1705-1717. doi: 10.2147/CIA.S213006 PMID: 31686796 May 26th 2026 Translation of interventions (Prof. Dr. Katapodi/ MSc Lisa Schiess) Readings week 10 1) Bass DM, Hornick T, Kunik M, Judge KS, Primetica B, Kearney K, Rentsch J, Mccarthy C, Grim J. (2019). Findings from a Real-World Translation Study of the Evidence-Based "Partners in Dementia Care". Innov Aging. 3(3): igz031. doi: 10.1093/geroni/igz031. PMID: 31660442 2) Ratcliff CG, Vinson CA, Milbury K, Badr H. (2019) Moving family interventions into the real world: What matters to oncology stakeholders? J Psychosoc Oncol. 37(2):264-284. doi: 10.1080/07347332.2018.1498426. PMID:30421667 3) van der Wel M, van der Smissen D, Dierickx S, Cohen J, Hudson P, De Vleminck A, Tutt L, Scott D, Di Leo S, Moeller Arnfeldt C, Jordan C, Northouse LL, Rietjens J, van der Heide A, Witkamp E (2022). Systematic translation and adaptation of the FOCUS program, a USA-based supportive intervention for persons with cancer and their family caregivers, for use in six European countries. Support Care Cancer; 30(12):9763-9770. doi: 10.1007/s00520-022-07391-x. June 2nd 2026 - 16:00 Proposal due |
| Comments | Maximale Anzahl Studierende: 15. Auswahlkriterien bei Überbelegung: 1. HI-PSY-Studierende im ersten Semester, die noch kein HI-PSY-Praxisseminar absolviert haben 2. HI-PSY/KPN-Studierende ab 2. Sem., die noch kein HI-PSY/KPN-Praxisseminar absolviert haben 3. HI-PSY/KPN-Studierende ab 2. Sem., die bereits HI-PSY/KPN-Praxisseminare absolviert haben (Anzahl absolvierte PS und Losverfahren) 4. Studierende der anderer Vertiefungsrichtungen/ des anderen Majors (Anzahl absolvierte HI-PSY/KPN-Praxisseminare und Losverfahren) Grundsätzlich gilt: Jede/r Student/in, welche/r die Prioritäten 1-2 erfüllt, hat Anrecht auf EINEN KPN/HI-PSY-Praxisseminar-Platz. Bei der Zuteilung gehen wir davon aus, dass bei Belegung eines KPN/HI-PSY-Praxisseminars die Bereitschaft zur Teilnahme vorhanden ist. Persönliche Priorisierungen können wir nicht berücksichtigen. Es empfiehlt sich deshalb, nur die KPN/HI-PSY-Praxisseminare zu belegen, an denen Sie auch wirklich teilnehmen wollen. Bitte stornieren Sie nach der Einteilung in ein KPN/HI-PSY-Praxisseminar gegebenenfalls die Belegungen von anderen KPN/HI-PSY-Praxisseminaren, in die Sie nicht aufgenommen wurden. Nach der Erst-Zuteilung durch das Studiendekanat geht die Organisation der Teilnehmendenliste (inkl. der Warteliste) in die Verantwortung der Dozierenden über. |
| Admission requirements | Abgeschlossenes Bachelorstudium Psychologie. |
| Course application | Für die Praxisseminare des Majors «Health and Interventions» (HI-PSY) (ehemals Vertiefungsrichtung «Klinische Psychologie und Neurowissenschaften») gilt: Die interne Anmeldefrist der Fakultät für Psychologie ist der 18. Januar 2026. Die Anmeldung erfolgt durch das Belegen via services.unibas.ch (Start: 01. Januar 2026). Vom 19. Januar bis 1. Februar 2026 wird die Einteilung in die Praxisseminare der HI-PSY durch das Studiendekanat vorgenommen. Die Studierenden werden in der Woche vom 2. Februar 2026 über Zusage oder Absage der Teilnahme vom Studiendekanat informiert. Bitte stornieren Sie die Belegungen von allen HI-PSY-Praxisseminaren, in denen Sie keinen Platz erhalten haben. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| unregelmässig | See individual dates | ||
Dates
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday 17.03.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Missionsstrasse 64a, Seminarraum 00.003 |
| Tuesday 24.03.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Missionsstrasse 64a, Seminarraum 00.003 |
| Tuesday 31.03.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Missionsstrasse 64a, Seminarraum 00.003 |
| Tuesday 14.04.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Missionsstrasse 64a, Seminarraum 00.003 |
| Tuesday 21.04.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Missionsstrasse 64a, Seminarraum 00.003 |
| Tuesday 28.04.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | STUDY WEEK - Student preparation time for proposal , Seminarraum 00.003 |
| Tuesday 05.05.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Missionsstrasse 64a, Seminarraum 00.003 |
| Tuesday 12.05.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Missionsstrasse 64a, Seminarraum 00.003 |
| Tuesday 19.05.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Missionsstrasse 64a, Seminarraum 00.003 |
| Tuesday 26.05.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Missionsstrasse 64a, Seminarraum 00.003 |
| Modules |
Modul: Ergänzung Health and Interventions (Master's Studies: Psychology) Module: Practice in Clinical Psychology and Neurosciences (Master's Studies: Psychology (Start of studies before 01.08.2024)) Module: Practice in Health and Interventions (Master's Studies: Psychology) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | 1. Seminar participation (25%). Students are expected to read all assignments and be prepared to actively participate in the discussions at all seminar sessions. In addition, students will assume responsibilities for leadership of portions of designated seminars. 2. Peer-review (25%). Each student will complete a review of another student’s proposal - in 3 pages or less please: a) Does the background addresses current state of research in the field? Does it explain the need to perform research in this area? Is the project original? b) Is the methodological approach suitable to address the aims of the proposal? Does it provide a detailed research plan: aims, rationale, design, data colletion methods? Are the methods feasible? c) What are the strengths and weaknesses of the proposal? d) Does the proposal describe expected outcomes, the importance for patients/ families/ communities/ the healthcare system/ the broader scientific community? 3. Course paper (50%) The proposal must include the following sections: 1. Summary ½ page. A brief description of the proposal. 2. Research plan (outline). A maximum of 8 pages for all subchapters (including Tables and Figures, but excluding bibliography) 2.1. State of research to the chosen topic (background). 2.2 Research aims and rational, objectives/hypothesis 2.3 Methods: Design, population(s), setting(s), recruitment procedures (if applicable), procedures and instrumnets for data collection. 2.4 Relevance of the project. Please explain expected results. Be specific as to outcomes/variable. 2.5 Time Schedule (Optional). 2.6 Significance/ Relevance of the proposal. 2.7 Bibliography Please indicate the scientific publications that are relevant to the envisaged research. |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration, dereg: cancel course registration |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | as often as necessary |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Psychology, studiendekanat-psychologie@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Faculty of Psychology |