Dr Joshua Stott
Alzheimer's Society
United Kingdom
Adapting cognitive behavioural therapy for people with dementia
Alzheimer's Society
272,904
28/09/15
4.0
Alzheimer's disease & other dementias
Depression and anxiety in dementia are common and associated with negative outcomes. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) shows some promise in treating anxiety in dementia, but most cognitive behavioural therapists in clinical services lack expertise in dementia work. This project has two main aims:
1. To develop tools that can be used to measure CBT relevant skills in people with dementia.
2. To develop practice guidelines on the use of these tools to assess suitability for CBT and target cognitive behavioural treatment in people who have dementia who are also anxious or depressed.
Methods
1. Systematic review of the literature to identify tools used to measure CBT skills in other client groups.
2. Consultation with CBT experts and people with dementia to adapt tools for use in dementia. Administration of adapted tools to people with dementia and a normative group to develop and test the feasibility, acceptability, reliability, and validity of these tools in people with dementia.
3. Investigation of the association between dementia-relevant variables and CBT-relevant skills in 110 people with dementia.
4. Development of guidelines based on methods 1-3 for CBT practitioners to support their work with people with dementia who also have anxiety or depression.
Expected outcomes:
Submission of PhD for applicant.
Dissemination of results, tools and guidelines at conferences and in academic and clinical journals.
Use of tools and guidelines in future research in CBT for people with dementia.
Promotion of dementia research among early career clinical psychologists through involvement of trainee psychologists in the project.