Mental health crisis in dementia
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The social understanding of mental health crisis in dementia.
IRAS ID
238215
Contact name
Martin Orrell
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Universty of Nottingham
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 6 months, 30 days
Research summary
Dementia is a neurodegenerative condition, which affects cognition and leads to barriers in social or occupational functioning and to mood and behavioural alteration, thus greatly limiting the everyday life of people living with the condition and their carers (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). The cognitive deterioration which characterises dementia leads people with the condition to being unable to recognise their carers, family members, and the environment, thus making them vulnerable to the experience of mental health crisis (O'Conner et al. 2007; Bond and Corner, 2001). As such, they may perceive the environment as alien, consequently feeling frightened and giving a behavioural response that is disproportionate and in some cases aggressive towards carers.
This project comprises three phases of knowledge appraisal and it is based on co-production to promote personhood in the person with dementia experiencing mental health crisis.Phase 1 aims to (i) explore the meaning making process of mental health crisis for people with dementia and their carers, (ii) and explore their subjective experience of the caring process during crisis (i.e. coping mechanisms, quality of care).
Phase 2 aims to (iii) explore the extent to which and how co-production is experienced with respect to the health care plan for a mental health crisis, investigating:
a) Physical environment (how and in what ways the environment impacts on the experience of crisis).
b) Social inclusion (i.e. engagement in activities promoting personhood and dignity and if these help buffer their experience of crisis).
c) Level of participation in civic and political life and how this may impact on the way needs and preferences are taken into account in a crisis.Phase 3 aims to (iv) set up three open working groups based on the United Nation model of Sustainable Development Goals (United Nations, 2015) to develop examples of dementia friendly initiatives that promote personhood during mental health crisis by tackling issues of health care, environment, socio-cultural partnership, civic-related and politics.
REC name
East Midlands - Derby Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/EM/0023
Date of REC Opinion
27 Mar 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion