CarersFIND MENCT06937541
Family Interventions iN Dementia Mental Health Environments
An observational study of Carers and Dementia, run by University of West London at 1 site in United Kingdom.
Trial summary
Study Goal: Understand carers' needs when someone with dementia is in a mental health ward and develop strategies to support carers as partners in care. Research Questions: What are mental health wards like in terms of staff, patients, and current carer support? What do carers experience and need during admission… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Any ageHealthy volunteers can take part
- How many people
- 343 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited Kingdom
- Study dates
- 29 May 2025to 31 May 2027
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages Any age
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Study population: People living with dementia, their carers and staff working on the mental health wards
Who may be able to join
- Ward managers of mental health wards that provides care to PLWD
- Ward managers from NHS wards that provides care to PLWD
- Ward managers from private providers that provides care to PLWD
- Ward managers that work on organic or mixed wards that provides care to PLWD
- Family member (any relationship) or friend of a PLWD currently receiving care on a mental health ward
- Aged 18 years old or above
Show all 36Show fewer
- Has capacity to consent to participate in an interview
- Willing to take part in 3 interviews over 12 months
- Family member (any relationship) or friend of a PLWD discharged from the ward within the last 3 years
- Aged 18 years old or above
- Has capacity to consent to participate in an interview
- Willing to take part in an interview
- PLWD currently under the care of the mental health ward
- PLWD discharged from the care of a dementia mental health ward within the last 3 years
- Has capacity to give informed consent to taking part in an interview
- Willing to take part in an interview alongside their carer
- PLWD who may, or may not, have experience of dementia mental health wards
- Carers (family members or friends) of PLWD who may, or may not, have experience of dementia mental health wards
- Willing to talk about mental health and dementia
- Aged 18 years old or above
- Have capacity to give informed consent
- Members of staff working within mental health wards for PLWD
- Members of staff of any professional group in a role that involves contact with carers (e.g. health care assistants, nurses, occupational therapists, psychologists, physiotherapists, speech and language therapists, family therapists, psychiatrists etc)
- Members of staff of any pay band or grade
- Students on placement in a mental health ward
- Members of staff working on NHS or private wards
- PLWD
- Carer (family or friend; current or bereaved)
- Willing to review outputs related to mental health wards
- Aged 18 years old or above
- Capacity to consent to take part
- Members of staff working within mental health wards for PLWD
- Members of staff of any professional group in a role that involves contact with carers (e.g. health care assistants, nurses, occupational therapists, psychologists, physiotherapists, speech and language therapists, family therapists, psychiatrists etc)
- Members of staff of any pay band or grade
- Students on placement in a mental health ward
- Members of staff working on NHS or private wards
Who cannot join
- Functional older adult mental health wards that do not provide care to PLWD
- Staff members who are not the ward manager
- Longitudinal interviews with current carers
- The carer is actively involved in a safeguarding investigation.
- The carer is under 18 years old
- The carer does not have capacity to consent to participate in an interview
Show all 31Show fewer
- Interviews with discharged carers
- The carer is actively involved in a safeguarding investigation
- The carer is under 18 years old
- The carer does not have capacity to consent to participate in an interview
- Interviews with People Living With Dementia (PLWD)
- The PLWD is actively involved in a safeguarding investigation
- The PLWD does not have capacity to consent to participate in an interview
- The PLWD is not willing to take part in an interview alongside their carer
- The PLWD has been discharged from the care of a dementia mental health ward for more than 3 years
- Co-design study - PLWD and carers
- Participants who do not have experience of living with, or caring for someone with, dementia
- Not willing to talk about mental health and dementia
- Aged under 18 years old
- Does not have capacity to give informed consent
- Co-design study - staff
- The staff member is actively involved in a safeguarding investigation
- Members of staff that do not work within mental health wards for PLWD
- Feasibility study - PLWD and carers
- The participant (PLWD or carer) is actively involved in a safeguarding investigation.
- Is not willing to review outputs related to mental health wards
- Aged under 18 years old
- Does not have capacity to consent to take part
- Feasibility study - staff
- The staff member is actively involved in a safeguarding investigation
- Members of staff that do not work within mental health wards for PLWD
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United Kingdom1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Geller Institute of Aging and Memory, University of West London
London, W5 5SA
Rosie Dunn, PhD, 020 8209 4277, rosie.dunn@uwl.ac.uk
Juliet Gillam, PhD, 020 8209 4277, juliet.gillam@uwl.ac.uk
About this study
Study Goal: Understand carers' needs when someone with dementia is in a mental health ward and develop strategies to support carers as partners in care.
Research Questions:
Read more
- What are mental health wards like in terms of staff, patients, and current carer support?
- What do carers experience and need during admission, discharge, and beyond?
- How do ward routines and staff practices affect carer involvement?
- How can co-design turn research into practical strategies for carer support?
- Can these strategies be implemented effectively?
Method: The investigators will survey mental health wards nationwide, interview carers from three UK wards, observe ward practices, and talk to staff. They will use this information to create and share practical strategies to improve carer support across the UK.
Read the detailed description
Background and rationale
Mental health wards (MHW) are a significant site of care for people living with dementia (PLWD), providing care for the most unwell, vulnerable, and high-risk individuals who are detained under the Mental Health Act (1983) for their own safety and the safety of others.
The UK has around 100 MHWs (80 NHS, 20 private) for PLWD, but there's a lack of evidence on care quality and experiences. Stays average 100 days, with most PLWD moving to institutional care rather than returning home.
Admissions often follow severe psychiatric or behavioural issues, such as self-harm or assaults. This population is at high risk to themselves and others, with high acuity and comorbidity. Admissions are complex, involving frequent unscheduled transfers to general hospitals, which are associated with high rates of falls and hospital-acquired infections.
Carer involvement can significantly improve clinical and social outcomes for people in mental health wards by reducing length of stay, promoting earlier discharge, and lowering relapse and readmission rates. Carers provide essential support that staff may not, ensuring person-centred care, advocacy, decision-making support, treatment adherence, and promoting recovery. However, carers often feel marginalized and describe MHWs as a place of 'battle,' experiencing high levels of trauma and distress with unmet emotional, social, and financial needs. Reviews and inquires highlight a culture that views carers as problematic and resource-intensive, leading to their support needs being overlooked.
There is an absence of research examining carer perspectives of MHWs and no evidence-based interventions to support carers of PLWD who are admitted within MHWs. In response, this study responds to urgent calls from the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England, for partnership working with carers and families utilising co-production to develop effective interventions and training programmes to support carers and the guidance required by services and wards to support implementation.
Research question: How can MHWs effectively work in partnership with and support family carers of PLWD?
Aim and Objectives
This study will provide detailed understandings of carers experiences and involvement when PLWD are detained within a MHW, and staff rationales and responses to carers, throughout an admission. It will deliver new knowledge and evidence-based strategies co-designed to ensure carers are appropriately supported and involved and to improve patient outcomes.
Objectives:
- To deliver a detailed description of staffing structure, patient profiles, and current support for carers and families in MHWs for PLWD.
- Provide detailed understandings of carers' experiences, perspectives of involvement, and their support needs throughout a PLWD MHW admission, during transition, and following discharge.
- Understand ward organisational cultures and staff perspectives by examining (a) ward routines and practices that involve or exclude carers (b) staff understandings and recognition of carers needs, and (c) formal frameworks and informal rationales staff draw on to inform involvement or exclusion from decision making, care, and transition to discharge.
- Translate the findings using co-design into evidence-based strategies to support best practice in the involvement and support of carers.
- (a) Assess the feasibility of implementing these strategies in practice and (b) gather feedback from people with lived experience
Design
This mixed methods study uses a convergent parallel mixed methods design integrating a national mapping survey, interviews, ethnography and experience-based co-design and feasibility testing. This approach supports the collection of detailed data from multiple and contextualized perspectives, with the goal to improve healthcare systems.
The study uses family systems theory and the Family Adjustment and Adaptation Response Model (FARR) to understand family responses to stress, such as dementia and mental health admissions. It also incorporates anthropology and sociology theories to explore family and kinship in care contexts and how healthcare professionals and MHWs recognize and respond to families. This combined approach aims to understand carers' and families' experiences and how to best support them during MHW admissions.
- Keywords
- family carers, dementia, inpatient unit, mental health, family interventions
- Medical subject headings
- Dementia, Psychological Well-Being
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Ward managers of dementia mental health wards | Ward managers of mental health wards that provide specialist care to patients with dementia will be invited to participate in a UK-wide, national mapping survey. One ward manager per ward is required to complete survey. Ward managers from NHS trusts and private providers will be invited to participate. There are approximately 90 NHS wards and 20 private providers in the UK (e.g. Cygnet Health Care, the Priory Group, Elysium Health Care, and St Andrew's Healthcare). Target recruitment goal of survey completion is 50% = 55 ward managers in total. | |
| Co-design study participants | Co-design workshops will be conducted with people living with dementia (n=10) and carers (n=10), and staff (n=10) working on mental health wards, to translate the findings into evidence-based strategies and collaboratively shape service improvements to address user needs and enhance care. | |
| Feasibility study participants | People living with dementia (n=30), carers (n=30) and staff (n=30) will be recruited to test the feasibility of resources and interventions, co-designed to improve carer support, involvement and staff training. | |
| Family carers | Interviews will be conducted with family carers whose friend/relative has received care on a dementia mental health ward (recruitment will take place across 3 wards). The investigators will interview current carers (8 per ward, total = 24) at 3 time points over 1 year. They will be carers of patients with dementia currently receiving care on a mental health ward. The investigators will also interview carers whose friend/relative has been discharged from a mental health ward within the last 3 years (8 per ward, total = 24). People with dementia receiving care on mental health wards are usually in the advanced stages of dementia and very distressed. However, there may be some who have the capacity to consent and if they wish, will be supported in taking part in dyadic interviews with their carer. | |
| Health care professionals working on a dementia mental health ward | Ethnographic observations will be conducted of staff working on dementia mental health wards. These will be focused on how staff interact with, support and involve family carers in the decisions of the care of their friend/relative with dementia receiving care on the ward. In-situ ethnographic interviews (5-10 mins reciprocal conversations) with ward staff will take place during observations to explore what staff draw on to inform their interactions and support with carers, how they recognise carers needs and what informal and embedded rationales used in decision making inform their involvement with carers. Staff to take part in longer (30-60 min) interviews (5 per site, total = 15) will be identified in collaboration with ward managers. The sample will include staff from a range of disciplines and roles. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
A national survey to map current care provision for people living with dementia admitted to a mental health ward across the UK
National mapping survey to gather data on the number/type of wards, patient and staff demographics and existing care provision for people living with dementia who are detained under the Mental Health Act and receiving care on a mental health ward.
Measured: 6 months
Ethnographic observations to understand how carers are supported and involved in the care of their friend/relative with dementia receiving care on a mental health ward
Ethnographic observation of staff and family carers on the ward. The focus of the observations is on the organisation of care. Observations will take place from the corridor(s) of wards, in communal areas, typically at nursing stations or ward observation points. Short, 'in-situ' conversational interviews (around 5-10 minutes) will take place on the ward with staff. These will be unstructured conversations to capture 'in-the-moment' experiences. Observations and 'in-situ' conversations will be documented using a touch screen tablet device.
Measured: 1 year
Interviews with current carers to understand their experiences and involvement in the care of their friend/relative with dementia who is receiving care on a mental health ward
Interviews with carers across 3 NHS sites in the UK, who currently have a friend/relative with dementia receiving care on a mental health ward (8 carers per ward = 24 carers in total). Carers will be interviewed at 3 timepoints over 12 months to understand their experiences over time. Total number of interviews = 72. The sample of carers will be identified by ward managers. A semi-structured interview schedule will be used following a narrative interview approach.
Measured: 1 year
Interviews with discharged carers to understand their experiences and involvement in the care of their friend/relative with dementia who had previously received care on a mental health ward
Interviews with 'discharged' carers across 3 NHS sites, i.e. carers whose friend/relative with dementia had previously received care on a mental health ward and have been discharged from the ward within the last 3 years. 8 carers per ward = 24 interviews in total. The sample of carers will be identified via screening of ward records completed by ward managers at each ward. A letter and Participant Information Sheet (PIS) will be sent by post to invite discharged carers to participate in an interview. A semi-structured interview schedule will be used to capture their views and experiences.
Measured: 1 year
Interviews with ward staff to understand their experiences of supporting and involving carers in the care of their friend/relative with dementia receiving care on a mental health ward
Interviews with ward staff, such as nurses, healthcare assistants, psychiatrists across 3 NHS sites. 5 ward staff per site will be interviewed = 15 interviews. Ward staff will be identified in collaboration with ward managers. A semi-structured interview schedule will be used to capture their views and experiences.
Measured: 1 year
Focus groups with staff to assess the feasibility (acceptability, implementation, integration, relevance) of implementing co-designed strategies in practice
Focus groups with staff to address:
- acceptability, to what extent these strategies reflect current practice, constraints, and the potential for new approaches; ii) implementation, to what extent they can be successfully delivered; iii) integration, to what extent they can be integrated into routine practice iv) relevance and acceptability of the outputs created for PLWD, carers and families.
Three online focus groups of 8-10 participants (n=30) will provide opportunity for discussion to explore the structural and organisational barriers within wards that may facilitate or impede effective implementation.
Measured: 6 months
Acceptability of co-designed strategies and resources
PLWD, carers and families will be invited to share their perspectives around acceptability of the co-designed resources in a way that suits them most. This is a person-centered, inclusive approach to gathering feedback, where different approaches are paramount to suit different needs.
People with lived experience could share their feedback by annotating printed or electronic versions of documents, having a brief conversation with the researcher online, over the phone or in person via the researcher attending their PPI meetings.
Measured: 6 months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted22 Apr 2025
- Study start29 May 2025
- Primary completion31 Mar 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion31 May 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (3)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for CarersStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Other
- Time perspective
- Other
- Enrolment
- 343 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of West London
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- University of Cambridge, University of Exeter
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Emma Wolverson, University of West London
- Investigators
- Prof Emma Wolverson, DClinPsy, Principal investigator, University of West London
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06937541
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- NIHR161439
- Other IDs
- NIHR161439
- Acronym
- FIND ME
- Status last verified
- Jun 2025
- First submitted
- 21 Mar 2025
- Last updated
- 13 Jun 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: All IPD which underlie results in any publications will be shared and made available on an online repository. No identifiable patient data will be shared; all data will be anonymised.
Publications
Edmans BG, Wolverson E, Dunning R, Slann M, Russell G, Crowther G, Hall D, Yates R, Albert M, Underwood BR. Inpatient psychiatric care for patients with dementia at four sites in the United Kingdom. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2022 Feb;37(2). doi: 10.1002/gps.5658. Epub 2021 Dec 1. No abstract available.
PubMed 34850970Wolverson EL, Harrison Dening K, Dunning R, Crowther G, Russell G, Underwood BR. Family experiences of inpatient mental health care for people with dementia. Front Psychiatry. 2023 Mar 1;14:1093894. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1093894. eCollection 2023.
PubMed 36937714Wolverson E, Dunning R, Crowther G, Russell G, Underwood BR. The Characteristics and Outcomes of People with Dementia in Inpatient Mental Health Care: A Review. Clin Gerontol. 2024 Oct-Dec;47(5):684-703. doi: 10.1080/07317115.2022.2104145. Epub 2022 Jul 27.
PubMed 35897148
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 13 Jun 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Family Interventions iN Dementia Mental Health Environments
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06937541
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- FIND ME / NIHR161439
- Keywords
- family carers, dementia, inpatient unit, mental health, family interventions
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 343 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of West LondonUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- University of Cambridge, University of Exeter
- Study start
- 29 May 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Mar 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 31 May 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 22 Apr 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Study Goal: Understand carers' needs when someone with dementia is in a mental health ward and develop strategies to support carers as partners in care.
Research Questions:
- What are mental health wards like in terms of staff, patients, and current carer support?
- What do carers experience and need during admission, discharge, and beyond?
- How do ward routines and staff practices affect carer involvement?
- How can co-design turn research into practical strategies for carer support?
- Can these strategies be implemented effectively?
Method: The investigators will survey mental health wards nationwide, interview carers from three UK wards, observe ward practices, and talk to staff. They will use this information to create and share practical strategies to improve carer support across the UK.
Detailed description
Background and rationale
Mental health wards (MHW) are a significant site of care for people living with dementia (PLWD), providing care for the most unwell, vulnerable, and high-risk individuals who are detained under the Mental Health Act (1983) for their own safety and the safety of others.
The UK has around 100 MHWs (80 NHS, 20 private) for PLWD, but there's a lack of evidence on care quality and experiences. Stays average 100 days, with most PLWD moving to institutional care rather than returning home.
Admissions often follow severe psychiatric or behavioural issues, such as self-harm or assaults. This population is at high risk to themselves and others, with high acuity and comorbidity. Admissions are complex, involving frequent unscheduled transfers to general hospitals, which are associated with high rates of falls and hospital-acquired infections.
Carer involvement can significantly improve clinical and social outcomes for people in mental health wards by reducing length of stay, promoting earlier discharge, and lowering relapse and readmission rates. Carers provide essential support that staff may not, ensuring person-centred care, advocacy, decision-making support, treatment adherence, and promoting recovery. However, carers often feel marginalized and describe MHWs as a place of 'battle,' experiencing high levels of trauma and distress with unmet emotional, social, and financial needs. Reviews and inquires highlight a culture that views carers as problematic and resource-intensive, leading to their support needs being overlooked.
There is an absence of research examining carer perspectives of MHWs and no evidence-based interventions to support carers of PLWD who are admitted within MHWs. In response, this study responds to urgent calls from the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England, for partnership working with carers and families utilising co-production to develop effective interventions and training programmes to support carers and the guidance required by services and wards to support implementation.
Research question: How can MHWs effectively work in partnership with and support family carers of PLWD?
Aim and Objectives
This study will provide detailed understandings of carers experiences and involvement when PLWD are detained within a MHW, and staff rationales and responses to carers, throughout an admission. It will deliver new knowledge and evidence-based strategies co-designed to ensure carers are appropriately supported and involved and to improve patient outcomes.
Objectives:
- To deliver a detailed description of staffing structure, patient profiles, and current support for carers and families in MHWs for PLWD.
- Provide detailed understandings of carers' experiences, perspectives of involvement, and their support needs throughout a PLWD MHW admission, during transition, and following discharge.
- Understand ward organisational cultures and staff perspectives by examining (a) ward routines and practices that involve or exclude carers (b) staff understandings and recognition of carers needs, and (c) formal frameworks and informal rationales staff draw on to inform involvement or exclusion from decision making, care, and transition to discharge.
- Translate the findings using co-design into evidence-based strategies to support best practice in the involvement and support of carers.
- (a) Assess the feasibility of implementing these strategies in practice and (b) gather feedback from people with lived experience
Design
This mixed methods study uses a convergent parallel mixed methods design integrating a national mapping survey, interviews, ethnography and experience-based co-design and feasibility testing. This approach supports the collection of detailed data from multiple and contextualized perspectives, with the goal to improve healthcare systems.
The study uses family systems theory and the Family Adjustment and Adaptation Response Model (FARR) to understand family responses to stress, such as dementia and mental health admissions. It also incorporates anthropology and sociology theories to explore family and kinship in care contexts and how healthcare professionals and MHWs recognize and respond to families. This combined approach aims to understand carers' and families' experiences and how to best support them during MHW admissions.
Study design
- Observational model
- Other
- Time perspective
- Other
- Number of arms
- 5
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Ward managers of dementia mental health wards | – | –Ward managers of mental health wards that provide specialist care to patients with dementia will be invited to participate in a UK-wide, national mapping survey. One ward manager per ward is required to complete survey. Ward managers from NHS trusts and private providers will be invited to participate. There are approximately 90 NHS wards and 20 private providers in the UK (e.g. Cygnet Health Care, the Priory Group, Elysium Health Care, and St Andrew's Healthcare). Target recruitment goal of survey completion is 50% = 55 ward managers in total. |
| Co-design study participants | – | –Co-design workshops will be conducted with people living with dementia (n=10) and carers (n=10), and staff (n=10) working on mental health wards, to translate the findings into evidence-based strategies and collaboratively shape service improvements to address user needs and enhance care. |
| Feasibility study participants | – | –People living with dementia (n=30), carers (n=30) and staff (n=30) will be recruited to test the feasibility of resources and interventions, co-designed to improve carer support, involvement and staff training. |
| Family carers | – | –Interviews will be conducted with family carers whose friend/relative has received care on a dementia mental health ward (recruitment will take place across 3 wards). The investigators will interview current carers (8 per ward, total = 24) at 3 time points over 1 year. They will be carers of patients with dementia currently receiving care on a mental health ward. The investigators will also interview carers whose friend/relative has been discharged from a mental health ward within the last 3 years (8 per ward, total = 24). People with dementia receiving care on mental health wards are usually in the advanced stages of dementia and very distressed. However, there may be some who have the capacity to consent and if they wish, will be supported in taking part in dyadic interviews with their carer. |
| Health care professionals working on a dementia mental health ward | – | –Ethnographic observations will be conducted of staff working on dementia mental health wards. These will be focused on how staff interact with, support and involve family carers in the decisions of the care of their friend/relative with dementia receiving care on the ward. In-situ ethnographic interviews (5-10 mins reciprocal conversations) with ward staff will take place during observations to explore what staff draw on to inform their interactions and support with carers, how they recognise carers needs and what informal and embedded rationales used in decision making inform their involvement with carers. Staff to take part in longer (30-60 min) interviews (5 per site, total = 15) will be identified in collaboration with ward managers. The sample will include staff from a range of disciplines and roles. |
Who may qualify
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- People living with dementia, their carers and staff working on the mental health wards
Key inclusion criteria (36 listed)
- Ward managers of mental health wards that provides care to PLWD
- Ward managers from NHS wards that provides care to PLWD
- Ward managers from private providers that provides care to PLWD
- Ward managers that work on organic or mixed wards that provides care to PLWD
- Family member (any relationship) or friend of a PLWD currently receiving care on a mental health ward
Key exclusion criteria (31 listed)
- Functional older adult mental health wards that do not provide care to PLWD
- Staff members who are not the ward manager
- Longitudinal interviews with current carers
- The carer is actively involved in a safeguarding investigation.
- The carer is under 18 years old
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Primary outcome
A national survey to map current care provision for people living with dementia admitted to a mental health ward across the UK
Time frame: 6 months
National mapping survey to gather data on the number/type of wards, patient and staff demographics and existing care provision for people living with dementia who are detained under the Mental Health Act and receiving care on a mental health ward.
Ethnographic observations to understand how carers are supported and involved in the care of their friend/relative with dementia receiving care on a mental health ward
Time frame: 1 year
Ethnographic observation of staff and family carers on the ward. The focus of the observations is on the organisation of care. Observations will take place from the corridor(s) of wards, in communal areas, typically at nursing stations or ward observation points. Short, 'in-situ' conversational interviews (around 5-10 minutes) will take place on the ward with staff. These will be unstructured conversations to capture 'in-the-moment' experiences. Observations and 'in-situ' conversations will be documented using a touch screen tablet device.
Interviews with current carers to understand their experiences and involvement in the care of their friend/relative with dementia who is receiving care on a mental health ward
Time frame: 1 year
Interviews with carers across 3 NHS sites in the UK, who currently have a friend/relative with dementia receiving care on a mental health ward (8 carers per ward = 24 carers in total). Carers will be interviewed at 3 timepoints over 12 months to understand their experiences over time. Total number of interviews = 72. The sample of carers will be identified by ward managers. A semi-structured interview schedule will be used following a narrative interview approach.
Interviews with discharged carers to understand their experiences and involvement in the care of their friend/relative with dementia who had previously received care on a mental health ward
Time frame: 1 year
Interviews with 'discharged' carers across 3 NHS sites, i.e. carers whose friend/relative with dementia had previously received care on a mental health ward and have been discharged from the ward within the last 3 years. 8 carers per ward = 24 interviews in total. The sample of carers will be identified via screening of ward records completed by ward managers at each ward. A letter and Participant Information Sheet (PIS) will be sent by post to invite discharged carers to participate in an interview. A semi-structured interview schedule will be used to capture their views and experiences.
Interviews with ward staff to understand their experiences of supporting and involving carers in the care of their friend/relative with dementia receiving care on a mental health ward
Time frame: 1 year
Interviews with ward staff, such as nurses, healthcare assistants, psychiatrists across 3 NHS sites. 5 ward staff per site will be interviewed = 15 interviews. Ward staff will be identified in collaboration with ward managers. A semi-structured interview schedule will be used to capture their views and experiences.
Focus groups with staff to assess the feasibility (acceptability, implementation, integration, relevance) of implementing co-designed strategies in practice
Time frame: 6 months
Focus groups with staff to address: i) acceptability, to what extent these strategies reflect current practice, constraints, and the potential for new approaches; ii) implementation, to what extent they can be successfully delivered; iii) integration, to what extent they can be integrated into routine practice iv) relevance and acceptability of the outputs created for PLWD, carers and families. Three online focus groups of 8-10 participants (n=30) will provide opportunity for discussion to explore the structural and organisational barriers within wards that may facilitate or impede effective implementation.
Acceptability of co-designed strategies and resources
Time frame: 6 months
PLWD, carers and families will be invited to share their perspectives around acceptability of the co-designed resources in a way that suits them most. This is a person-centered, inclusive approach to gathering feedback, where different approaches are paramount to suit different needs. People with lived experience could share their feedback by annotating printed or electronic versions of documents, having a brief conversation with the researcher online, over the phone or in person via the researcher attending their PPI meetings.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 13 Jun 2025.
- Background: PubMed 34850970Edmans BG, Wolverson E, Dunning R, Slann M, Russell G, Crowther G, Hall D, Yates R, Albert M, Underwood BR. Inpatient psychiatric care for patients with dementia at four sites in the United Kingdom. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2022 Feb;37(2). doi: 10.1002/gps.5658. Epub 2021 Dec 1. No abstract available.
- Background: PubMed 36937714Wolverson EL, Harrison Dening K, Dunning R, Crowther G, Russell G, Underwood BR. Family experiences of inpatient mental health care for people with dementia. Front Psychiatry. 2023 Mar 1;14:1093894. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1093894. eCollection 2023.
- Background: PubMed 35897148Wolverson E, Dunning R, Crowther G, Russell G, Underwood BR. The Characteristics and Outcomes of People with Dementia in Inpatient Mental Health Care: A Review. Clin Gerontol. 2024 Oct-Dec;47(5):684-703. doi: 10.1080/07317115.2022.2104145. Epub 2022 Jul 27.
- URl for the FIND ME Study WebsiteLink provided by the sponsor.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. All IPD which underlie results in any publications will be shared and made available on an online repository. No identifiable patient data will be shared; all data will be anonymised.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Prof Emma Wolverson, DClinPsy principal investigator
University of West London
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Carers and Dementia, run by University of West London at 1 site in United Kingdom.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 36 inclusion and 31 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 13 Jun 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United Kingdom. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Prof Emma Wolverson, DClinPsy (02082094277, emma.wolverson@uwl.ac.uk), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
A national survey to map current care provision for people living with dementia admitted to a mental health ward across the UK (time frame: 6 months). The study lists 7 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT06937541, which also lists 3 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 13 Jun 2025.