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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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| A psychosocial model of understanding the experience of receiving a diagnosis of dementia | | Author(s) | Rebekah Pratt, Heather Wilkinson |
| Journal title | Dementia: the international journal of social research and practice, vol 2, no 2, June 2003 |
| Pages | pp 181-200 |
| Keywords | Dementia ; Diagnosis ; Attitude ; Adjustment. |
| Annotation | The authors propose a psychosocial model for understanding the experiences of people with dementia, based on the findings of their 2001 study "Tell me the truth". The model operates on two main aspects: the combined desire and/or ability to know the diagnosis; and the social context that surrounds an individual. The model proposes that these two aspects are inexorably linked. There are four "quadrants" represented in the model: detachment, distress, maximising coping, and decline and denial. The model proposes that individual experience can be located in any of these "quadrants" as a function of the combined effect of social context, alongside individual response. The model proposes that social context can contribute to the experience of "distress" on the ability of individuals to accept "maximising coping strategies". In terms of diagnosis disclosure, the model advocates that when individuals show an "ability and desire" to know their diagnosis, withholding the diagnosis may directly contribute to feelings of distress. This situation would be an example of the potential impact of the social context on individual experience. Thus, social context needs to be assessed and explored as part of individual assessment to find ways to minimise distress and maximise positive coping responses. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-030627203 A |
| Classmark | EA: LK7: DP: DR |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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