The experience of self and identity in people with dementia has been the subject of much research over recent years, but existing research has a number of limitations, including the lack of a clear theoretical framework and adequate numbers of participants to produce robust evidence. The aim of this thesis was to explore the experience of self and identity in people with early-stage dementia, utilising a mixed method approach, whilst addressing these limitations. Two systematic reviews suggested that a number of relevant research questions had not yet been addressed.
These included exploring the profile of identity in people with dementia usjng a
comparison group, and examining the relationships between identity, cogrutive
abilities, and mood and quality of life. The quantitative aspects of the study involved 50 people in the early stages of dementia, and 50 healthy older people matched on age, gender, and educational background. Results suggested that the experience of identity in people with early-stage dementia is not very different to that of healthy older people. There was also no clear-cut relationship between identity and cognitive and functional abilities, and only a very limited relationshlp between identity and autobiographical memory functioning. It was possible to significantly predict about a quarter of the variance in mood and quality of life from aspects of identity. The qualitative aspect of the study involved analysing interview data provided by 10 participants, using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The resulting themes demonstrated that participants were in flux, experiencing both continuity and change with respect to their identities, although at present the emphasis was on continuity.
The findings are discussed in respect to potential practical implications and directions for future research.