Staff Details

PhD Psychology (University of Vermont), BSc (Hons) Psychology (University College Dublin)

Main Research Interests

Design, implementation and evaluation of interventions which aim to promote quality of life and quality of care for people with dementia and their families. Lived experience of dementia, primary care, end of life care.

Select Publications

Peer Reviewed Journals

Clare L, Bruce E, Surr, C & Downs M (In press) 'I don't do like I used to do': a grounded theory approach to conceptualising awareness in people with moderate to severe dementia living in long-term care. Social Science and Medicine.

Clare L, Bruce E, Surr, C & Downs M (In press) The experience of living with dementia in residential care: an interpretative phenomenological analysis, Gerontologist.

Downs M and Bowers B (2008) Care for people with dementia. Commissioned editorial. British Medical Journal. 336, 225-226.

Ariss S, Grant E, Downs M, Fernandez B, Gallagher R, Cherry R, Barclay M. (2006) Piloting a consumer-directed intervention to improve primary care for dementia in the UK. Dementia: The International Journal of Social Research and Practice, 5(3): 456-462

Downs M, Ariss S, Grant E, Keady J, Turner S, Bryans M, Wilcock J, Levin E, O’Carroll R & Iliffe S. (2006) Family carers’ accounts of general practice contacts for their relatives with early signs of dementia. Dementia: The International Journal of Social Research and Practice, 5(3): 353-373.

Ariss S, Grant E, Downs M, Fernandez B, Gallagher R, Cherry D, Barclay M. (2006) Piloting a consumer-directed intervention to improve primary care for dementia in the UK. Dementia: the International Journal of Social Research and Practice.

Downs M, Small N and Froggatt N (2006) Explanatory models of dementia: links to end-of-life care International Journal of Palliative Nursing, 12 (5), 209 – 213.

Downs M, Turner S, Bryans M, Wilcock J, Keady J, Levin E, O'Carroll R, Howie K & Iliffe S. (2006) Effectiveness of educational interventions in improving detection and management of dementia in primary care: cluster randomised controlled study. British Medical Journal, 332:692-696.

Murphy J, Tester S, Hubbard, G, Downs M, MacDonald C. (2005) Enabling frail older people with a communication difficulty to express their views: the use of Talking MatsTM as an interview tool. Health and Social Care in the Community, 13 (2): 95-107.

Mackenzie J, Bartlett R & Downs M. (2005) Have we been barking up the wrong tree? Moving towards culturally competent dementia care. Reviews in Clinical Gerontology., 15, 39-46.

Downs M. Awareness and dementia: In the eye of the beholder. Editorial. Ageing and Mental Health, 9, 381-383.

Turner S, Iliffe S, Downs M, Wilcock J, Bryans M, Levin E, Keady J & O’Carroll R. (2004) General practitioners’ knowledge, confidence and attitudes in the diagnosis and management of dementia. Age & Ageing, 33: 461-467.

Baruch J, Downs M, Baldwin C & Bruce E. (2004) A case study in the use of technology to reassure and support a person with dementia. Dementia: The International Journal of Social Research and Practice, 3(3): 371-392.

Bryans M, Keady J, Turner S, Wilcock J, Downs M & Iliffe S. (2003) An exploratory survey into primary care nurses and dementia care. British Journal of Nursing, 12(17): 1029-1037.

Hubbard G, Downs M & Tester S. (2003) Including older people with dementia in research: challenges and strategies. Aging & Mental Health, 7 (5): 351-362.

Hubbard G, Tester S & Downs M. (2003) Meaningful social interactions between older people in institutional care settings. Ageing & Society, 23 (1): 99-114.

Turner S, Iliffe S, Downs M, Bryans M, Wilcock J & Austin T. (2003) Decision Support Software for Dementia Diagnosis and Management in Primary Care: Relevance and Potential. Aging & Mental Health; 7(1): 28-33.

Wilcock J, Iliffe S, Walters K, Rait G, Austin T, Turner S, Bryans M, Downs M, Levin, E, O'Carroll R & Keady J. (2003) The development of an evidence-based curriculum for dementia care training in general practice. Education & Ageing.

Downs M, Clibbens R, Rae C, Cook A & Woods RT. (2002) What do general practitioners tell people with dementia and their families about the condition? A survey of experiences in Scotland. Dementia: The International Journal of Social Research and Practice, 1: 47-58.

Iliffe S, Wilcock J, Austin T, Walters K, Rait G, Turner S, Bryans M & Downs M. (2002) Dementia diagnosis and management in primary care: 1 Approaches to learning. Dementia: The International Journal of Social Research and Practice, 1:11-23.

Iliffe S, Austin T, Wilcock J, Bryans M, Turner S & Downs M. (2002) Design and implementation of a computer decision support system for the diagnosis and management of dementia syndromes in primary care. Methods of Information in Medicine, 41: 98-104.

Hubbard G, Cook A, Tester S & Downs M. (2002) Beyond words: older people with dementia using and interpreting non-verbal behaviour. Journal of Ageing Studies, 16(2): 155-167.

Downs M, Iliffe S, Turner S, Bryans M & Wilcock J. (2001) An intervention to improve primary care practitioners' response to people with dementia and their families. Gerontology, 47(S1): 139.

Iliffe S, Wilcock J, Walters K, Rait G, Downs M, Turner S & Bryans M. (2001) Educational issues in the recognition and management of dementia in primary care. Gerontology, 47(S1): 139.

Books

N Small, K Froggatt and M Downs (2007) Living and dying with dementia – dialogues about palliative care. Oxford, Oxford University Press.

Edited Books

M Downs and B Bowers (In press) (Eds) Excellence in dementia care: Principles and practice. Maidenhead: Open University Press.

J A Vincent, C R Phillipson & M Downs. (2006) (Eds). The futures of old age. London: Sage.

Book Chapters

Downs M, Clare L, & Anderson E (2008) Dementia as a bio-psychosocial condition: Implications for practice and research In R Woods and L Clare, L (Eds), Handbook of the Clinical Psychology of Ageing, 2nd Edition. Chichester: Wiley

Froggatt KA, Downs M & Small N (2008) Palliative care for people with dementia: Principles, practice and implications. In R Woods and L Clare, L (Eds), Handbook of the Clinical Psychology of Ageing, 2nd Edition. Chichester: Wiley

Small N, Downs M & Froggatt K. (2006) Improving end-of-life care for people with dementia - the benefits of combining UK approaches to palliative care and dementia care. In Jones G & Miesen B. (Eds), Care-giving in dementia; Research and applications, volume 4. Hove, East Sussex: Brunner-Routledge.

Downs M Mackenzie J Clare L (2006) Understandings of dementia: Explanatory models and their implications for the person with dementia and therapeutic effort. In JC Hughes, SJ Louw, and SR Sabat (Eds) Dementia: Mind, meaning and person. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Downs M, Small N & Froggatt K. (2006) Person-centred care for people with severe dementia. In Burns A & Winblad B (Eds). Severe dementia. London: Wiley and Sons.

Downs M & Bruce E. (2006) Is there a better future for people with dementia and their families? In Vincent J A, Phillipson C R & Downs M. (Eds). The futures of old age. London: Sage.

Hubbard G, Downs M & Tester S. (2001) Including the perspective of older people in institutional care during the consent process. In Wilkinson H (Ed). The perspectives of people with dementia - research methods and innovations. London: Jessica Kingsley.

Practitioner and Professional Journals

Downs M, Iliffe S, Turner S, Bryans M, Wilcock J, Keady J, Levin E & O'Carroll RE. (2002) Specialist training in dementia care for primary care practitioners - general practitioners and practice nurses. Signpost, 7(2): 13-15.

Downs M, Iliffe S, Turner S, Bryans M, Wilcock J, Keady J, Levin E, O'Carroll RE & Simpson S. (2002) How can we improve GPs' response to dementia? Journal of Dementia Care, 10(3): 18-19.

Tester S, Hubbard G & Downs M. (2001) Family carers talk about their perceptions of nursing homes. The Journal of Dementia Care, 9(5): 37-38.

Downs M. A timely spotlight on social research. (2001) The Journal of Dementia Care, 6(3): 35-36.

Grants awarded since 2001

• National Institute for Health Research. £1,632,038 E Moniz-Cook, A Mason, C Mozley, R T Woods, I Russell, R Jones, I Markova, P Campion, A Hilton, G Stokes, I James, M Downs. Management of challenging behaviour in dementia at home and in care homes. 2007-2012.
• Leeds Mental Health Trust. £30,000 M Downs, C Baldwin & R Fortinsky Evaluation of memory services. 2008.
• Bradford Metropolitan Council. £128,000 M Downs Evaluation of Older People’s Health in Mind Programme. 2006-2008.
• Bradford Metropolitan District Council. £61, 830 M Downs and R Bartlett Leading and Teaching in Mental Health. 2006-2008
• ESRC. £45,000 L Clare, M Downs, E Bruce, C Surr Awareness among people with moderate to severe dementia living in residential care homes. 2005-2006.
• ESRC Growing Older Programme. £158,000 S Tester and M Downs Exploring perceptions of quality of life of frail older people during and after their transition to institutional care. 1999-2002.
• Alzheimer’s Society £340,000 M Downs, S Iliffe, E Levin, J Keady, R O’Carroll, and R Simpson Improving the response of primary care practitioners to people with dementia and their families: A randomised controlled trial of educational interventions. 1999-2002.