Abstract
Conflicting findings have been reported on whether attending an Alzheimer's disease (AD) support group is a positive or negative experience. As a result, the present study provides the results from a retrospective analysis of the effects of caregiver support groups over an eight year period. The results suggest that those in distress are the most likely to attend support groups, and the benefits of attending become more apparent over time. The primary reason given by participants for having stopped attending support groups was the lack of a program for those who no longer are active care providers. Many of these same individuals indicated a marked interest in caregiver issues, but felt that most of the information provided was for those providers early in the care process. Thus, support groups that consider caregiver transitions may prove of interest.