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Most people caring for relatives with dementia experience loneliness

About two-thirds of people who care for family members with dementia experience loneliness, NIHR-supported research found.

Carers on the IDEAL (Improving the Experience of Dementia and Enhancing Active Life) project completed questionnaires to rate their feelings of loneliness and quality of their relationship with the person they care for.

The study also found that one-third of people with mild-to-moderate dementia experience loneliness due to social isolation and depression.

The study involved 2,988 UK participants, including 152 at Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and 117 at Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust.

Researchers on the IDEAL project will carry out two further studies to look at the impact of COVID-19 on people with dementia and their carers.

Read more on the NIHR Evidence website.