Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Depression is a major public health issue, increasing the risk of comorbidities. Some people with depression experience cognitive dysfunction, which can persist even after symptomatic recovery. British South Asians are at greater risk of developing depression and are less likely to seek treatment. It is important to understand their experience of subjective cognitive dysfunction in depression and how best to support them.
AIMS: This study explored subjective experience of cognitive dysfunction during recurrent depression, in a sample of 12 British South Asians aged between 45 and 60 years.
METHODS: We conducted semi-structured interviews to explore cognitive dysfunction during recurrent depression. We analysed the data using thematic analysis.
RESULTS: Difficulties in attention and concentration resulted in lower quality of social relationships, including not feeling present and social isolation. Learning new information was difficult, thus impacting productivity. Participants found it difficult to engage in enjoyable activities that promoted brain health. The emotional, physical and spiritual impact negatively impacted on quality of life.
DISCUSSION: Cognitive strategies used in therapies could improve brain health and functional recovery in people living with depression.
IMPLICATIONS: Mental health nurses play a pivotal role in providing culturally appropriate information and strategies for managing cognitive dysfunction in recurrent depression.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 332-341 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing |
| Volume | 32 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Early online date | 9 Mar 2025 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published (in print/issue) - 30 Apr 2025 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Data Access Statement
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.Funding
Funding: This report is independent research funded by the National Institute for Health Care Research, Yorkshire and Humber Applied Research Collaborations NIHR200166. The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NHS, the National Institute of Health Care Research or the Department of Health and Social Care. This research is also supported by funding provided by the University of Bradford through the Research, Innovation and Engagement Account. We would like to thank the participants who took part in this study and the organisations that supported recruitment.
| Funders |
|---|
| University of Bradford |
Keywords
- Humans
- Middle Aged
- Cognitive Dysfunction/ethnology
- Male
- Female
- Qualitative Research
- Recurrence
- Depressive Disorder/ethnology
- United Kingdom/ethnology
- South Asian People
- functional impairment
- lived experience
- cognitive functioning
- recovery
- qualitative
- depression
