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Using dolls for therapeutic purposes: A study on nursing home residents with severe dementia
Author(s) -
Cantarella A.,
Borella E.,
Faggian S.,
Navuzzi A.,
De Beni R.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
international journal of geriatric psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.28
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1099-1166
pISSN - 0885-6230
DOI - 10.1002/gps.4872
Subject(s) - dementia , distress , psychosocial , severe dementia , psychological intervention , psychiatry , psychology , clinical psychology , caregiver burden , nursing homes , medicine , gerontology , nursing , disease , pathology
Objectives Among the psychosocial interventions intended to reduce the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), doll therapy (DT) is increasingly used in clinical practice. Few studies on DT have been based on empirical data obtained with an adequate procedure; however, none have assessed its efficacy using an active control group, and the scales used to assess changes in BPSD are usually unreliable. The aim of the present study was to measure the impact of DT on people with severe dementia with a reliable, commonly used scale for assessing their BPSD, and the related distress in formal caregivers. Effects of DT on the former's everyday abilities (ie, eating behavior) were also examined. Method Twenty‐nine nursing home residents aged from 76 to 96 years old, with severe dementia (Alzheimer's or vascular dementia), took part in the experiment. They were randomly assigned to an experimental group that used dolls or an active control group that used hand warmers with sensory characteristics equivalent to the dolls. Benefits of DT on BPSD and related formal caregiver distress were examined with the Neuropsychiatric Inventory. The effects of DT on eating behavior were examined with the Eating Behavior Scale. Results Only the DT group showed a reduction in BPSD scores and related caregiver distress. DT did not benefit eating behavior, however. Conclusions This study suggests that DT is a promising approach for reducing BPSD in people with dementia, supporting evidence emerging from previous anecdotal studies.