Grief and Loss in People with Dementia: An IPA Study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Grief and Loss in People with Dementia: An IPA Study
IRAS ID
353397
Contact name
Alex Fradera
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Glasgow
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 1 days
Research summary
This study aims to explore how people with dementia understand and cope with feelings of grief and loss after their diagnosis. It will focus on learning directly from people with dementia to gain insights into their lived experiences.
This study will use a qualitative approach, meaning it will focus on people's personal stories and experiences rather than numbers or statistics. This will involve doing an in-depth interview with people aged 65 and over who have been diagnosed with dementia.
To achieve this aim, this study will be guided by the following questions:1. Do people with a recent diagnosis of dementia experience emotions of loss and grief?
2. Do people with a recent diagnosis of dementia experience disenfranchised grief?
3. What are the emotional supports that these people utilise when experiencing grief and loss following a dementia diagnosis?These people will be recruited from Older People's Community Mental Health Teams (OPCMHTs) within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC). The interviews will follow a flexible, semi-structured format, allowing people to share their thoughts and feelings. The information gathered from the interviews will be analysed using a method called Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), which helps researchers understand the people’s experiences and how they make sense of them.
The participants will be given the option of receiving a summary sheet of the study’s results.
The results of this study aim to raise awareness about the emotional challenges faced by people with dementia, specifically their grief and loss experiences. By listening to their stories, the study hopes to improve mental health care for this population.
The lead researcher will explore appropriate academic journals with their supervisors and submit for publication.REC name
North of Scotland Research Ethics Committee 2
REC reference
25/NS/0075
Date of REC Opinion
21 Jul 2025
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion