Lifestyle recommendations after Mild Cognitive Impairment diagnosis
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The narratives of receiving recommendations for lifestyle-based changes following a diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment
IRAS ID
363761
Contact name
Fergal Jones
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Canterbury Christ Church University
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 10 months, 1 days
Research summary
As part of the Doctorate for Clinical Psychology at Canterbury Christ Church University, this research project will look at how it feels to receive lifestyle-based recommendations following a diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). MCI can be defined as “noticeable difficulties with memory or thinking that are greater than expected for a person’s age, however, do not interfere significantly with daily life” (Gauthier et al, 2006).
Since many memory services are only commissioned to treat those with a diagnosis of dementia, many people diagnosed with MCI are advised to self-initiate lifestyle changes as a preventative measure (Alzheimer’s Research UK, 2023). This is because evidence suggests there may be things a person can do to reduce their long-term risk (Livingston et al, 2017). These changes mainly involve being physically active, eating healthily, not smoking, drinking less alcohol, and staying mentally and socially active (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence [NICE] (2015).
Research exploring people’s experiences of adopting these changes is growing and it has been reported that people with a diagnosis of MCI often feel as though they are “feeling through the cracks” because of their liminal state between health and dementia (Poppe et al, 2020). However, a knowledge gap exists in understanding the individual stories of people’s experiences of receiving this advice and to what extent they touch on public health narratives of where health responsibility lies.
People with an objective diagnosis of MCI and who have received lifestyle-based recommendations will be invited to take part in an interview to talk about their experiences. The study hopes to recruit from an NHS memory service. Interviews will take place either online or in-person and will be analysed using a qualitative methodology examining stories to understand how people make sense of their experiences.
REC name
London - Stanmore Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
26/LO/0093
Date of REC Opinion
19 Mar 2026
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion