Informal carers are pertinent in supporting people with dementia. The impact of a diagnosis impacts on the person with dementia, their carers and their social relationship. Caring can be influenced by wider social relationships, the present thesis sought to explore the role of social support within the context of dementia. Chapter 1 presents a qualitative systematic review of the literature exploring dementia carers' experiences of online support groups. It explores how social relationships with others in a similar situation, over the internet, can support carers with the caring role. The main themes that were drawn out from the studies reviewed were group bonding, emotional support and information gathering, as well as carer perceptions of the unique advantages and disadvantages of online support groups. A critical analysis highlighted methodological limitations with regards to the clarity of the results. Clinical implications and suggestions for future research are also discussed. Chapter 2 presents a qualitative investigation exploring the construction of identity in carers of people with dementia when interacting in a face-to-face social support group. The study considers the impact of a diagnosis of dementia on carer identity within social relationships and the analysis focusses on the construction of identities within the social context of a support group. The analysis revealed the construction of a group identity that occurs when carers align with the group. The action of this identity is discussed, along with the clinical implications and future research directions. Chapter 3 puts forward my reflective account of the research experience in relation to the construction of my own identities in social relationships.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:714890 |
| Date | January 2016 |
| Creators | Spink, Jenna-Lorin |
| Publisher | University of Warwick |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/88080/ |
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