The stress of dementia: view from the inside

This descriptive exploratory study used thematic analysis to interpret short videotaped speech samples produced by persons with dementia in response to the question, "How have things been goingforyou lately?" The researchers were able to identify themes in 50 of the 56 interviews with men and women with Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores that ranged from five to 28. The major themes across all MMSE levels were losses, feelings about losses, and attempts to manage losses. The individuals' choice of themes as well as their verbal and nonverbal expressions suggested that they were experiencing a significant amount of stress, especially related to their relationships with family and friends.