INVOLVERA

About INVOLVERA

Depression is commonly experienced by people with dementia and is associated with reduced quality of life, declining daily functioning, and increased care needs. At the same time, more people with dementia are living in the community, placing greater responsibility on informal caregivers, who themselves are at increased risk of stress, anxiety, and depression.

Although psychological support can effectively reduce depression and improve well-being, many people with dementia are unable to access this support. Limited healthcare resources, increasing demands on health and social care services, and other barriers such as stigma and inflexibility of care can contribute to these unmet needs.

The goal of INVOLVERA is to improve access to psychological support for people with dementia and depression and their informal caregivers.

Psychological support is provided through a novel behavioural activation self-help intervention. The support has been co-developed with people with dementia, informal caregivers, health and social care professionals, and community organisations.

INVOLVERA is a project within the research programme U-CARE.

The INVOLVERA intervention

INVOLVERA is a behavioural activation-based intervention, designed to help people with dementia and depression to engage in activities of meaning and value to them, including pleasurable, routine, and self-care activities.

INVOLVERA is delivered via written workbooks. A novel aspect of the intervention is that the person with dementia is supported to use INVOLVERA at home by an informal caregiver who receives guidance via telephone and/or through videoconferencing from a trained professional.

Development and future steps

The development of the INVOLVERA intervention was informed by a series of iterative studies situated in Phase I of the MRC Complex Interventions Framework. Patient and public contribution in research, with a Public Advisory Group, was embedded throughout.

Next, we will examine the feasibility and acceptability of INVOLVERA in a single-arm feasibility study.