A Taxonomy of Mental Health and Technology Needs for Alzheimer's and Dementia Caregivers

2026-06-17

AI Summary

Family caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias frequently confront mental health challenges that reduce their complex experiences to a simplistic “care burden,” while their diverse unmet needs lack a cohesive interdisciplinary framework. This study addresses this gap by synthesizing a systematic literature review with findings from two qualitative caregiver studies to develop the first classification framework that systematically links psychosocial needs—such as relational strain and empathic distress—to digital technology interventions, including AI-powered chatbots, sensor-based platforms, and video conferencing tools. The framework illuminates critical mismatches between existing technological supports and caregivers’ prioritized concerns, advocates for human-centered design principles, and establishes a shared lexicon to foster collaborative innovation across clinical practice, research, and technology development.

Abstract

Family members caring for individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD) provide the foundation of long-term care worldwide. In 2023, more than 11 million U.S. family and friends contributed 18 billion hours of unpaid care, often at the cost of their own physical and mental health. These informal caregivers -- also referred as the "invisible second patients" -- experience elevated rates of mental health problems. Yet research commonly reduces their complex psychosocial experiences to a single construct of caregiver burden, obscuring which specific needs are unmet or effectively supported. At the same time, digital and AI-enabled technologies are rapidly expanding, from smartphone apps and videoconferencing to sensor platforms and AI chatbots. However, the absence of shared frameworks across medicine, psychology, and technology research limits cumulative progress. This study introduces a Caregiver Mental Health and Technology Taxonomy that systematically links AD/ADRD caregiver needs with corresponding classes of technology-based interventions. Drawing from an interdisciplinary literature review and two qualitative studies with caregivers, the taxonomy identifies mismatches between caregiver priorities and existing technological support, highlights under-served domains such as relational strain and compassion fatigue, and proposes design directions for adaptive, responsive systems. The framework offers a shared vocabulary to guide clinicians, researchers, and technology designers in developing more person-centered and clinically grounded innovation in dementia care.

Problem

• Alzheimer's disease
• dementia caregivers
• mental health
• technology needs
• caregiver burden

Innovation

• taxonomy
• caregiver mental health
• AI-enabled technologies
• person-centered design
• dementia care