Table 2 Review criteria

Population

Carers (any age) of people aged 50 + years, and carers aged 50 + years (of any aged care recipient). Study populations without age criteria, but which described carers or care recipients as older or diagnosed with dementia, were eligible.

Intervention

Interventions that comprised one or more of the following components: aids and adaptations, therapeutic support (e.g. counselling, psychotherapy, cognitive behaviour therapy), physical therapy or exercise/activity, respite, pain management, physical skills training, befriending and peer support, financial information and advice, and generic education/advice.

Interventions targeted at carers, or dyadic interventions for both care recipient and carer if there is a clear component designed for the carer.

Interventions for care recipients only.

Comparator

Any comparator including usual care, or no comparator (i.e. before and after).

Outcome

Any measure of the following: mental health, physical health, carer ‘burden’, financial wellbeing, social wellbeing (including relationships), and quality of life.

Study design

Quantitative evaluative study designs (randomised controlled trials, randomised trials with two intervention arms and no standard care/no intervention arm, non-randomised controlled trials, and before and after studies).

Studies published in English from OECD high-income countries; studies published in the last 10 years (2013–2023).

Qualitative evaluations.