Confronting the Existential Threat of Dementia

Richard Cheston is Professor of Dementia Research at the University of the West of England, UK, and worked as a clinical psychologist in the National Health Service for 25 years. He continues to work clinically with individuals and families living with dementia at the RICE memory clinic in Bath, UK.Gary Christopher is a senior lecturer at the University of the West of England, UK, and leads the Ageing Well theme of the Psychological Sciences Research Group there. He has published widely on mental health, although his primary research focus is the impact of ageing on cognitive functioning, and in particular, emotion regulation in dementia.

“I would thoroughly recommend this book to other professionals working in dementia care. … I also think there are additional benefits to taking an existential approach. This highlights important clinical implications to help individuals adjust to a diagnosis of dementia and their ability to live as well as possible by strengthening psychological resources such as self esteem and social connectedness.” (Gillian Bowie, FPOP Bulletin, Issue 149, January, 2020)

• Chapter One: Introduction.- Chapter Two: Dementia in Context.- Chapter Three: Dementia as an existential threat.- Chapter Four: Dementia and Relationships.- Chapter Five: Identity and self-esteem.- Chapter Six: Being the same but different - creating meaning from dementia.- Chapter Seven: Defending against the threat of dementia.- Chapter Eight: Increasing recall without increasing distress.- Chapter Nine: An existential approach to dementia.