Psychological adjustment to a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment 1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Psychological adjustment to mild cognitive impairment in older adults: The role of illness perceptions, cognitive impairment and cognitive fusion.
IRAS ID
212507
Contact name
Kerry Ross
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Edinburgh
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 3 months, 0 days
Research summary
Summary:
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a diagnosis given to older adults who have cognitive difficulties (e.g. thinking and memory problems) that cannot be explained by the ‘normal ageing process’. People with MCI are considered to be at increased risk of dementia. Adjusting psychologically to MCI may be challenging due to uncertainty regarding progression to dementia. Progression rates are estimated at around 5-10% (Mitchell & Shiri-Feshki, 2009), however many people experience no further cognitive decline and others revert back to ‘normal’ cognitive functioning. Experience of cognitive impairment has also been linked to lower levels of quality of life (QoL) and decreased emotional wellbeing.
The current study aims to explore the influence of three factors on psychological wellbeing and on perceived QoL in people with MCI. The three factors are: (1) individual perceptions about the MCI diagnosis, (2) level of cognitive impairment and (3) cognitive fusion i.e. how caught up an individual is with their thoughts. In exploring these factors, the study aims to find out whether a psychological treatment called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) may be helpful for people with MCI who are struggling to adjust to the diagnosis. At present, there are no evidence-based psychological treatments for people with MCI.
Participants who are aged 60+ and have a diagnosis of MCI will be invited to take part in the study. Participants will be asked to complete seven questionnaires, which will assess cognitive impairment, illness perceptions, emotional distress and QoL. These will be completed over a 1 hour appointment at a clinic location or at the participant's home.
REC name
South East Scotland REC 01
REC reference
16/SS/0215
Date of REC Opinion
15 Dec 2016
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion