A research group has used realist evaluation (RE) to extract and summarize the findings of 54 studies that examine solutions to the psychosocial healthcare issues facing older adults. The group was led by Keio University researchers, including Shinya Mitani, a Ph.D student in the nursing program at the Graduate School of Health Management, and Professor Hiroki Fukahori in the Faculty of Nursing and Medical Care.
Realist evaluation (RE) is a social science research approach with roots in realism and the works of English philosopher Roy Bhaskar. The method, which is used by researchers throughout Europe, is said to help develop, evaluate, enhance, and disseminate solutions and policies to deal with complex psychosocial issues. This is because RE not only focuses on a solution's outcomes, but also identifies the conditions under which the solution is effective and the underlying mechanisms. This research group undertook this study believing that RE would be effective in advancing solutions in Japan and Asia, regions where super-aging has led to an accumulation of issues influenced by changes in family dynamics and growing segments of the population that suffer from dementia.
This study's findings indicated that it would require a considerable number of specialists and financial resources to properly assess solutions to the psychosocial challenges facing older adults using RE. The team hopes that this study will serve as the foundation for further investigation using RE of solutions to the psychosocial challenges facing older adults.
The research group also included Assistant Professor Hirofumi Ogawara from Sophia University, Professor Tetsuya Sakakibara from the Tokyo Woman's Christian University School of Arts and Sciences, and Professor Haruta Junji from Keio University. The outcomes of the study were published in BMJ Open on August 30, 2024.
