Search

Objectives: This is the first known study that sought to understand the experience of an eight-week art-gallery-based interventionoffered at two distinctly different galleries for people with mild to moderate dementia and their carers. The study examined impact on social inclusion, carer burden, and quality of life and daily living activities for a person with dementia. Method: A mixed-methods pre-post design using standardised questionnaires and interviews involved 24 participants (12with dementia) and compared similar interventions at a traditional and a contemporary art gallery. Qualitative data was analysed using thematic analysis. Results: No significant pre-post difference was found between the traditional or contemporary gallery groups on quantitative measures. There was, however, a non-significant trend towards a reduction in carer burden over the course of the interventionfor both gallery groups. Thematic analysis revealed well-being benefits from both traditional and contemporary art gallery sites that included positive social impact resulting from feeling more socially included, self-reports ofenhanced cognitive capacities for people with dementia, and an improved quality of life. Conclusion: Participants were unanimous in their enjoyment and satisfaction with the programme, despite the lack of significancefrom standardised measures. Further consideration of art galleries and museums, as non-clinical community resources for dementia care, is warranted. The interventions at both galleries helped to foster social inclusion and social engagement, enhance the caring relationship between the carers and PWD, support the personhood of PWD, and stimulate cognitive processes of attention and concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The concept of patient-centredness is increasingly being incorporated into modern healthcare practice, yet little attention has been given to the development of patient-centred principles in research.Aims: This study aimed to establish convergent validity for a definition of patient-centredness using abstracts from schizophrenia research and to explore the experiences of psychiatrists and service users taking part in research that was designed to be patient-centred.Methods: Mixed methods were used in this community study.Results: Thirteen service users and three psychiatrists took part. Service users rated eight of 60 research abstracts as patient-centred, even though 30 of these had been previously rated as such by psychiatrists. There was some accord between psychiatrist and service user ratings as seven out of eight abstracts were identified by both groups as patient-centred. Process aspects of research were valued by service users, for example, being respected as collaborators. Both groups reported benefits to participation in patient-centred research, such as feeling valued and breaking down barriers between doctor and patient.Conclusions: While there is some agreement between professionals and service users as to what constitutes patient-centred research, other process-related factors are important. Patient-centred research is valued by both service users and doctors and should be incorporated into future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Children and mothers who have suffered domestic or neighbourhood violence constitute a high risk group, although it has not been clear whether their mental health needs are specifically related to the type of violence. This paper reports on the prevalence of mental health problems in homeless parents and children who have experienced domestic and neighbourhood violence and their access to social support networks. Methods: Three groups of families who had become homeless were compared: those experiencing domestic violence (48 with 75 children), victims of neighbourhood violence (14 with 29 children), and those who became homeless for other reasons (31 with 54 children). Mothers completed a service use semi-structured interview, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, the General - Health Questionnaire, the Family Support Scales, and the SF-36 Health Status Questionnaire. Results: Levels of psychiatric morbidity were high in the group experiencing domestic violence (35.7% in children and 21.9% in mothers) and higher still in those who were victims of neighbourhood violence (52.2% in children and 50% in mothers). Levels of social support were found to be an important factor, particularly in relation to professional support and support from other family members, as they predicted both child and maternal psychopathology. Conclusions: Mental health interventions for victims of domestic and neighbourhood violence should be integrated with community programmes of social reintegration. Mental health professionals should work in close collaboration with Housing Departments, Social Services, Education and the Police. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Among the various psychosocial interventions aiming at improving behavior, quality of life, and the well-being of people with dementia, one that has attracted recent attention has been object handling. This scoping review synthesizes available studies on object handling for people with dementia, their effects, and methodological characteristics and describes its components and likely domains., Research Design and Methods: The search was conducted using CINAHL, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, PsycARTICLES, Academic Search Elite, and Art Full Text, plus review of reference lists and hand search. Data from the studies included were chattered and reported in narrative form., Results: Eleven studies were included; of which, 9 described a group intervention and 10 investigated the distinctive value of heritage items. Studies used a mixed-methods or qualitative design and varied in their procedures, including number of sessions and length of intervention. Most studies reported positive effects on well-being, mood, and emotion in those with dementia. Qualitative investigations revealed that the co-construction of an object's meaning facilitated new learning, social inclusion, and change in attitudes toward dementia. From the review and stakeholder consultations, a definition of object handling is proposed, which includes three components: presenting, receiving, and responding., Discussion and Implications: The findings suggest that people with dementia may benefit from object handling interventions as a means of improving well-being, mood, and social inclusion. The review highlighted a variety of approaches used and a small number of studies were identified under the term of "object handling." Further studies are needed to examine the complexity of object handling, its impact within dementia care settings, and that explicitly use the term "object handling." Given the focus to date on heritage, archive, and museum objects, more studies involving the handling of everyday material objects are needed because these are by definition highly accessible., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America.)