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71/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 71 out of 100. Caregiving

Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies

Current policy emphasises the importance of 'living well' with dementia, but there has been no comprehensive synthesis of the factors related to quality of life (QoL), subjective well-being or life satisfaction in people with dementia. We examined the available evidence in a systematic review and meta-analysis. We searched electronic databases until 7 January 2016 for observational studies investigating factors associated with QoL, well-being and life satisfaction in people with dementia. Articles had to provide quantitative data and include ⩾75% people with dementia of any type or severity. We included 198 QoL studies taken from 272 articles in the meta-analysis. The analysis focused on 43 factors with sufficient data, relating to 37639 people with dementia. Generally, these factors were significantly associated with QoL, but effect sizes were often small (0.1-0.29) or negligible (<0.09). Factors reflecting relationships, social engagement and functional ability were associated with better QoL. Factors indicative of poorer physical and mental health (including depression and other neuropsychiatric symptoms) and poorer carer well-being were associated with poorer QoL. Longitudinal evidence about predictors of QoL was limited. There was a considerable between-study heterogeneity. The pattern of numerous predominantly small associations with QoL suggests a need to reconsider approaches to understanding and assessing living well with dementia.

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APA 7th

Martyr, A., Nelis, S. M., Quinn, C., Wu, Y. T., Lamont, R. A., Henderson, C., et al. (2018). Living well with dementia: a systematic review and correlational meta-analysis of factors associated with quality of life, well-being and life satisfaction in people with dementia. Psychological medicine. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0033291718000405

Vancouver

Martyr A, Nelis SM, Quinn C, Wu YT, Lamont RA, Henderson C, et al. Living well with dementia: a systematic review and correlational meta-analysis of factors associated with quality of life, well-being and life satisfaction in people with dementia. Psychological medicine. 2018. doi:10.1017/s0033291718000405. PMID: 29734962.

BibTeX

@article{martyr2018-29734962,
  author  = {Martyr, A. and Nelis, S. M. and Quinn, C. and Wu, Y. T. and Lamont, R. A. and Henderson, C. and Clarke, R. and Hindle, J. V. and others},
  title   = {{Living well with dementia: a systematic review and correlational meta-analysis of factors associated with quality of life, well-being and life satisfaction in people with dementia}},
  journal = {Psychological medicine},
  year    = {2018},
  doi     = {10.1017/s0033291718000405},
  pmid    = {29734962},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1017/s0033291718000405}
}

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Key findings

We searched electronic databases until 7 January 2016 for observational studies investigating factors associated with QoL, well-being and life satisfaction in people with dementia.
Generally, these factors were significantly associated with QoL, but effect sizes were often small (0.1-0.29) or negligible (<0.09).
Factors reflecting relationships, social engagement and functional ability were associated with better QoL.
Factors indicative of poorer physical and mental health (including depression and other neuropsychiatric symptoms) and poorer carer well-being were associated with poorer QoL.

Why it matters

This review of many studies found that factors such as relationships, social engagement, and functional ability were linked to better quality of life, while poorer physical and mental health and poorer carer well-being were linked to worse quality of life. Most of these links were small, and the authors note that longitudinal evidence about what predicts quality of life was limited.

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Study details

Study designsystematic review
Participants198
Evidence strengthHigh

How this study scored 71/100

Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a systematic review of all the studies on the question. Scored zero for effect reported because the record does not state it.

Component	Points	Why
Journal tier	7 / 10	Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Psychological medicine)
Journal's citation record	3 / 4	Psychological Medicine: journal h-index 331 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29)
Study design	12 / 12	A systematic review of all the studies on the question
Strength of evidence	5 / 5	Rated “high” in our summary
Peer-review validation	10 / 10	Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal.
How recent	2 / 5	2018 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here
Sample size	2 / 4	198 participants
Effect reported	0 / 3	No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Studied in people	3 / 3	Studied in people (participant count stated)
Randomized / blinded	0 / 2	A review of other studies — randomization is not credited here
Times cited	6 / 7	Cited 311 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10)
Citations per year	4 / 5	31.1 citations a year over 10 year(s) since 2018
Impact for its field and year	3 / 6	Cited 5.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI)
Cited by studies here	2 / 6	Cited by 3 other studies in this library
Still being cited	3 / 4	Cited 111 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex)
Senior author's track record	3 / 4	Last-listed author Linda Clare: h-index 88 (OpenAlex, whole career)
Institution's track record	1 / 3	King's College London: institution h-index 1,348 (OpenAlex)
Multicenter collaboration	3 / 3	OpenAlex lists 11 institution(s) in 2 countries
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 29734962)
Free to read	0 / 2	Behind a paywall — scores zero
Total	71 / 100	—

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