The impact of Cognitive Stimulation Therapy groups on people with dementia: Views from participants, their carers and group facilitators

Abstract

Objectives: Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) can lead to significant improvements in cognitive function and quality of life for people with dementia. This study sought to investigate whether improvements found in clinical trials were also noted by people with dementia, their carers and group facilitators in everyday life.

Method: Qualitative interviews and focus groups were conducted with people attending CST groups, their carers and the group facilitators. Data were recorded and transcribed, before being analysed using Framework Analysis.

Results: Two main themes emerged, ‘Positive experiences of being in the group’ and ‘Changes experienced in everyday life’, along with seven sub-themes. The overall experience of attending CST was seen as being emotionally positive and most participants reported some cognitive benefits.

Conclusions: The findings lend further support to previous quantitative findings, as well as providing information about the personal experience of CST.

Keywords:

• CST
• dementia
• qualitative

Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the invaluable contributions of all the research participants who took part in this study, without whose time and reflections this research would not have been possible. We thank the facilitators of the CST groups in the NHS and CHAT for facilitating access to the groups and participants. This study formed Charlotte Gardner's doctoral thesis for the DClinPsy at University College London.