Freedman, Shoshanna;
(2025)
Being Kind to Ourselves: A Qualitative Evaluation Within a Feasibility Randomised Controlled Trial of Group Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) to Improve Depression and Anxiety in Dementia.
Doctoral thesis (D.Clin.Psy), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
AIMS: There is a growing body of research exploring social media use in health contexts. However, there is limited research on its use amongst people living with dementia (PLWD). This review aimed to systematically identify and synthesise qualitative research exploring PLWD’s use and experiences of social media. METHOD: A systematic search was conducted across five databases. Inclusion criteria were qualitative studies reporting separately on the experiences of PLWD using social media. Twelve studies were included in the review and were appraised using the modified Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) tool (Long, French & Brooks, 2020). Data analysis followed Thomas and Harden’s method for thematic synthesis (Thomas & Harden, 2008). RESULTS: Thematic analysis generated five master themes. These were ‘Making sense of dementia: sharing and processing the journey’, ‘A community of shared experience and reciprocal support’, ‘Social media as a platform for advocacy and change’, ‘Navigating identity and reclaiming agency’, and ‘Challenges of social media’. Social media emerged both as a space for processing the emotional challenges of living with dementia and as a platform for asserting autonomy, agency, and constructing identity. Barriers to use and risks were also identified. CONCLUSIONS: This review highlights social media’s potential to amplify the voices of PLWD and challenge stigmatising narratives. Future work in this area could aim to better understand patterns of social media use among PLWD through quantitative research and prioritise more diverse samples to address gaps in representation.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | D.Clin.Psy |
| Title: | Being Kind to Ourselves: A Qualitative Evaluation Within a Feasibility Randomised Controlled Trial of Group Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) to Improve Depression and Anxiety in Dementia |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2025. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Div of Psychology and Lang Sciences |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10215082 |
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