Supporting recovery and inclusion through user involvement in dementia
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Supporting recovery and inclusion through service-user involvement for people living with a diagnosis of dementia
IRAS ID
141188
Contact name
Jocelyne Kenny
Contact email
Research summary
Supporting recovery and inclusion through service-user involvement for people living with a diagnosis of dementia
Research questions:
1. How can service-user involvement support a recovery model of mental health practice for people with a diagnosis of dementia?
2. How can service-user involvement support people with a diagnosis of dementia in living well?The number of people with dementia is predicted to increase from 800,000 currently to 1 million by 2021. This increase suggests that dementia public health services might need to provide more therapeutic activities in the future. Findings from previous studies suggest that people with dementia could benefit from user involvement in a number of ways, including improved self confidence, feeling more connected to others, improved wellbeing and feeling more empowered. These benefits are similar to those promoted by a recovery model of mental health, which encourages people to live satisfying and hopeful lives within the limitations of illness, including helping a person to recover confidence, develop hope inspiring relationships and feel included in society.
If the benefits of user involvement groups for people with dementia were made more explicit, and could be shown to support a recovery model, then such groups could be made more widely available within public health services.
People with a diagnosis of dementia, who are in the mild - moderate stage of the disease and who are members of a dementia related service-user involvement group would be eligible to participate in this study. People would also need capacity to consent. Participation would involve one one-hour interview answering questions on what it was like to receive a diagnosis of dementia and how being involved in a service-user group might have benefited them. Interview transcripts will be analysed with grounded theory.
Research will take place in sites accross south England, including Canterbury and potentially Swindon and Lewisham
REC name
London - Camden & Kings Cross Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/LO/0425
Date of REC Opinion
22 Apr 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion