Problem behaviour is common among older adults with complex care needs. It can affect their well-being, functioning, and recovery and can place a considerable burden on family caregivers and healthcare professionals. This PhD research comprises two interrelated research lines.
1. Implementation of the STIP-Method in long-term care
This research line focuses on the implementation of the STIP-Method for people with dementia and problem behaviour in long-term care. STIP is a Dutch acronym for Personalised Stepwise Integrated prevention and treatment of Problem behaviour. The research examines how this structured approach is applied in daily practice and which factors facilitate or hinder its implementation. This research is part of the ZonMw Memorabel programme.
2. Problem behaviour in geriatric rehabilitation
Psychological distress and neuropsychiatric symptoms, such as anxiety, depressive symptoms, apathy, agitation, and aggression, are common in geriatric rehabilitation (GR). These symptoms may affect recovery and participation in rehabilitation. However, a uniform definition and structured, systematic approach to problem behaviour are still lacking in GR.
This research line includes:
· Interviews with Dutch healthcare professionals exploring their experiences with problem behaviour and their support needs.
· International focus groups with healthcare professionals and researchers exploring how problem behaviour is defined and understood, how frequently and in what forms it occurs, its consequences, and how it is addressed across different countries and healthcare systems.
· Analysis of a European dataset of 765 rehabilitation patients to examine the prevalence and course of neuropsychiatric symptoms and their associations with patient characteristics, functioning, and rehabilitation and discharge outcomes.
Research phase
The PhD research is currently in its final research and publication phase. Data collection and analyses for the STIP-Method have been completed. Within the GR research line, the interviews and international focus groups have been completed, and the analysis of the European dataset is being further developed.