The need to adapt after Alzheimer's disease diagnosis: Coping strategies used to maintain identity and quality of life.

Abstract

BackgroundReceiving a diagnosis of a major neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease (AD) brings with it the need to adjust to a new life situation. People with AD seek to (1) maintain emotionally positive goals in their current lives, and (2) use positive experiences from the past to create continuity in their lives, with the aim of maintaining their quality of life and gaining a sense of hope.ObjectiveThis research aims to explore the coping strategies and processes used following diagnosis.MethodAn exploratory qualitative design was implemented to study the different coping strategies used by ten people with AD, via semi-structured interviews. The transcribed data was subject to an interpretative phenomenological analysis.ResultsAll participants experienced unpleasant emotions following their diagnosis. Their coping process following two different trajectories: (1) adaptive coping strategies to gain resilience and hope to maintain meaning in their current lives; (2) less adaptive coping strategies essentially resulting in the denial of the diagnosis and withdrawal from social life.ConclusionsThis research makes it possible to identify possible intervention paths adapted to an individual's needs to help them move towards adaptive coping strategies.