Effectiveness of a recovery-orientated psychiatric intervention package on the wellbeing of people with early dementia: a preliminary randomised controlled trial

Abstract

Objective: To investigate whether recovery-orientated psychiatric assessment and therapeutic intervention enhances the wellbeing of people with dementia and their family carers.

Methods: In a preliminary randomised controlled trial, 48 people with early dementia were recruited. Of 34 who completed the trial, 17 were in the recovery and 17 in the treatment as usual group. Recovery participants received a recovery-focused pre-diagnostic wellbeing assessment and counselling, diagnostic consultation with written feedback and post-diagnostic support over a period of 6 months using the WHO Wellbeing Index as the primary measure, and Mini Mental State Examination, Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia, EUROQOL and Zarit Burden Interview as secondary outcome measures.

Results: People in the recovery group showed a significant improvement in the WHO Wellbeing Index (18.3 for recovery vs 9.46 for treatment as usual; t = -2.28, p = 0.03), with trends of improvement in other outcome measures.

Conclusions: This trial shows that a recovery-focused diagnostic consultation and post-diagnostic support enhance the wellbeing of people with mild cognitive impairment and early dementia.