Aim To understand the experiences and perceived impact on the wellbeing of individuals attending a suicide bereavement social support group. Design A qualitative study guided by a realist evaluation framework. Methods Data were collected from May–July 2020 using online semistructured individual interviews with participants ( N = 6), from the North West of England recruited from a suicide bereavement support group's social media. Data were analysed using thematic analysis informed by the realist framework. Results Effective social support includes the prioritisation of building meaningful connections with like-minded individuals, providing a safe space for authentic self-expression aiding personal relationship maintenance. Contextual factors included: Societal and cultural stigma of suicide, self-stigma and gender norms. Mechanisms influencing support seeking include: Not wanting to burden loved ones due to judgement, and a lack of understanding. Impact Policymakers can reduce demand on healthcare systems by developing tailored support groups to suit individual needs.

The experience of dementia can only be understood adequately if the influence of gender is fully recognised. Research accounts have, however, tended to portray dementia in gender-neutral terms. This qualitative research study aims to redress this imbalance by investigating the gendered experience of women with dementia. The research addressed women's negotiation of relationships with spousal partners, other family members, professionals, support groups and services.

Objectives This study aimed to explore carers’ experiences of supporting a family member or friend with dementia through COVID-19 and experiences of hope and resilience during this time. Methods Qualitative longitudinal research was undertaken in the UK, with 13 unpaid carers of people living with dementia who took part in two semi-structured interviews 8 weeks apart between June and October 2020. All transcripts were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Findings Four themes were developed and included: COVID-19 impacted negatively upon everyday living; carer resilience: adapting to COVID-19; analysis of risk: safeguarding the person living with dementia; and thinking about the future with COVID-19. Conclusions The results illustrated how the sudden changes which occurred during the pandemic negatively impacted on carers and people living with dementia in several ways, including additional responsibilities and taking away hope. The importance of continued formal and informal support for carers and people living with dementia during COVID-19 were highlighted. Formal services, care homes, and organisations need to be supported to implement procedures to ensure a safe environment during future lockdowns or periods of social restrictions. This will enable carers to remain visiting their family members and increase their confidence in accessing services and allowing paid carers to support their family member with dementia. These results have also illustrated the resilience of carers, who adapted to sudden changes which impacted negatively on their wellbeing and the wellbeing of the person living with dementia.

The aim of this study was to understand the support priorities of older (65+ years old) carers of people living with dementia. Two nominal group technique focus groups were carried out with older carers of people living with dementia. Twelve carers participated across two focus groups. Participants individually identified support priorities, and through several steps, reached a consensus to produce a ranked list of support priorities. The results consisted of two lists (one list per group), which when combined made up 15 support priorities. These priorities are presented alongside their overall and mean ranking. The authors did not refine these priorities after the focus groups, however, as there was overlap between priorities across the two liststhe results benefited from being themed. These overarching themes consisted of prioritising the carers’ holistic needs; having a sense of belonging; support needs to be accessible and timely; support to meet the wellbeing and personhood of the person living with dementia; and understanding and training for the wider community. These results have highlighted support priorities, developed by older carers, that services and organisations can use to better inform the support and services that older carers receive.

Objectives: The insights of individuals bereaved by suicide who use peer-led social support groups are lacking in much of the clinical research. This review provided a synthesis of the existing knowledge base to support the development of strategies to improve peer-led social support group services. Design and Methods: A systematic search was carried out on eight electronic databases. Data were extracted and a systematic qualitative meta-aggregation was undertaken. Results: Key components of social support for individuals bereaved by suicide were the contribution of group dynamics to the attribution of meaning; the ways in which shared experience leads to the normalization of feelings; and the importance of support group homogeneity, consistency, and training to the participants’ experience. Conclusion: Peer-led social support groups can be invaluable for suicide-bereaved individuals, but attention must be paid to the structure, conduct, and training of group leaders and members in order to optimize outcomes.