Reducing Dementia Grief Through Psychosocial Interventions: A Systematic Review

Abstract

This review assessed the existing dementia grief interventions for caregivers of persons with dementia (PwD) prior to physical death from September 2016 to September 2021. Electronic databases Web of Science (SSCI), PsycArticles, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, PsycINFO, PSYNDEX Literature with PSYNDEX Tests, and MEDLINE were searched. Fifty-five publications meeting predetermined criteria were screened of which 12 were included in this review. Included interventions were multifaceted and the intervention format was heterogeneous. There has been a vast increase in dementia grief interventions in the last 5 years implying that the concept has been recognized as a valid and important construct to describe the caregiver experience. Implementation research should be undertaken to explore how well the concept of dementia grief is known and recognized and how elements of the interventions are used in everyday mental health care.