Identity, mood, and quality of life in people with early-stage dementia

Background: There is little empirical research regarding the relationships between identity and well-being in people with dementia. The aim of the study was to explore the relationship of identity with mood and quality of life (QoL) in the people in the early stages of dementia. Method: This was a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study. Fifty people in the early stages of dementia completed measures pertaining to different aspects of identity, mood, and QoL. Multiple regression analyses were carried out to determine whether it was possible to predict any of the variance in mood and QoL from aspects of identity. Results: It was possible to predict 12.8% of the variance in anxiety, 23.4% of the variance in depression, and 25.1% of the variance in QoL from different aspects of identity. Predictors varied for each dependent variable. Conclusions: Aspects of identity predict a modest proportion of the variance in anxiety, depression, and QoL. This suggests that supporting identity in people with dementia who are experiencing difficulties in this regard might have a positive impact on mood and QoL. However, the majority of the variance in mood and QoL must be accounted for by other variables.