2.1. Study Design
ADRD
The revised sociocultural stress and coping model [An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was used in this study. Quantitative data were collected at baseline prior to the intervention, at the end of the intervention, and at 6 months post intervention. To further explore the experiences of family caregivers and senior companions with the SCP Plus after the intervention, we conducted follow-up qualitative interviews with participants from the intervention who were willing to participate (both caregivers and senior companions; Though previous pilot study showed SCP Plus was promising, it did not use randomized controlled trial and thus could not tell if the SCP Plus intervention was effective in helping ADRD caregivers with burden/stress and coping skills. The present study thus expanded the program to three states to conduct a randomized evaluation of efficacy to determine the effects of SCP Plus on African American ADRD family caregivers’ stress and burden, coping skills, and social support. After the SCP directors at each site identified the senior companion–caregiver dyads who met inclusion criteria, participants were randomly selected. The project coordinator and project assistant then contacted each dyad. Participant dyads were offered the opportunity to participate in the study, guided through the informed consent process, administered a baseline survey via phone, and randomized to one of two groups. The first group of senior companion–caregiver dyads received the intervention, which included service as usual (SAU) plus the psychoeducational program for ADRD caregivers (SCP Plus), whereas the second group served as the control group, which included those who only received SAU as part of the SCP. A randomization list was generated, and group assignments were put in sealed envelopes from which the project coordinator drew senior companion–caregiver dyads who were randomly assigned to either SCP Plus or SAU.The design for this study is depicted below in scientific notation. Data were collected by phone at baseline prior to the intervention (O