They say the secret to a happy marriage can be summed up in two little words: “Yes, dear.” While this may resolve most relationship conflicts, navigating a marriage when one partner is living with dementia can be much more complex. In the realm of dementia care, there has been a longstanding focus on person-centred care, highlighting the individual’s identity within their social context. However, the significance of spousal relationships in dementia care has only recently begun to receive the attention it deserves.
Spousal relationships play a crucial role in shaping a person’s experience of dementia, yet they have been largely overlooked when it comes to interventions. While numerous studies have focused on family carers, exploring various approaches from performing arts to online support, few have delved into the dynamics of the spousal relationship itself. This is where the recent work by Emma Gilbert and colleagues in 2023 comes in, addressing vital questions surrounding psychosocial interventions aimed at enhancing spousal relationships in dementia care.
To shed light on this under-researched area, the authors conducted a scoping review of the existing literature. Despite the limited and varied nature of the studies available, they identified 32 relevant studies reporting on 36 interventions. These interventions fell into five categories: narrative interventions, creative interventions, communication-focused interventions, psychotherapies, and miscellaneous approaches.
The quality of research in this area was found to be lacking, with only a few studies employing rigorous designs such as randomised controlled trials. The results from these interventions were mixed, with qualitative studies highlighting relational benefits while findings from quantitative studies varied.
Overall, more robust research is needed in this area to provide a stronger evidence base. The authors made several recommendations for moving forward, including conducting controlled studies with systematic data collection, incorporating objective evaluation methods, exploring the wider impact of interventions, ensuring sensitivity in measurement tools, embracing diverse intervention approaches, and developing a stronger theoretical foundation.
This scoping review serves as a crucial reminder of the importance of strengthening spousal relationships in dementia care and calls for further research and resources to address this vital aspect of care. The need for clearer theoretical frameworks, understanding underlying mechanisms, and prioritising relational outcomes in research and practice are key takeaways from this review. By focusing on enhancing spousal relationships, we can truly deliver person-centred care to individuals living with dementia.
Reference:
Gilbert, E., Villa, D., & Riley, G. A. (2023). A scoping review of psychosocial interventions to enhance the relationship of couples living with dementia. Dementia, 22(5), 1164–1198.
