What does this research mean for the field?

Adult child caregivers of parents with dementia utilize four dominant narrative identity patterns—management, growth, protective boundary, and fracture/alienation—as adaptive mechanisms to negotiate agency, continuity, and moral positioning amidst chronic relational loss. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.INCREMENTAL. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

What question did this study set out to answer?

To examine how adult children navigate identity reconstruction and sustain a coherent sense of self while caring for a parent with dementia.

August 29, 2026Dementia

Reconstructing Identity in the Shadow of Dementia: Narrative Identity Processes Among Adult Child Caregivers

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To examine how adult children navigate identity reconstruction and sustain a coherent sense of self while caring for a parent with dementia.
Conducted a qualitative narrative study with adult child dementia caregivers (N=21) using semi-structured interviews.
Analyzed interview transcripts using a holistic narrative approach grounded in narrative identity theory, ambiguous loss theory, biographical disruption, and narrative selection theory.
Identified four distinct narrative identity patterns: management narratives centered on control, growth narratives framing caregiving as transformation, protective boundary narratives focusing on role differentiation, and fracture and alienation narratives.
Found that narrative identity reconstruction serves as a key adaptive mechanism for maintaining personal agency, continuity, and moral positioning amidst ongoing relational loss.

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Implication

Qualitative narrative study reveals four distinct identity reconstruction patterns in adult child dementia caregivers, highlighting caregiving as an ongoing process of existential adaptation.

Cite This Study

Salman et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a9299db8e5d7d1fc0c120cb https://doi.org/10.1177/14713012261484698

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Implication

Qualitative narrative study reveals four distinct identity reconstruction patterns in adult child dementia caregivers, highlighting caregiving as an ongoing process of existential adaptation.

Reconstructing Identity in the Shadow of Dementia: Narrative Identity Processes Among Adult Child Caregivers

Key Points

Discussion

Implication

Cite This Study

Reconstructing Identity in the Shadow of Dementia: Narrative Identity Processes Among Adult Child Caregivers

Key Points

Discussion

Implication

Cite This Study

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