Table 6 Illustrative examples of participant reported benefits of the intervention

Emotional well-being

010

“Umm, I have enjoyed doing it since it started, although it is frustrating every now and again, but on the whole it has been, a real buzz and a real bonus.”

023

“I thoroughly enjoyed it I was enthused and it made me feel a lot better about myself and good reactions.”

“Well they (the brain training games) allowed me to analyse, communicate to myself, talk out loud to myself, and then I had that time set three times a week and it really worked….So I guess it pepped me up.”

030

“Now I feel kind of much more positive about it (brain training) and these kind of things now, having done them.”

“I just think I kind of wanted to see what it was like actually and it was kind of more umm more you know interesting than I thought it was guna be yeh I thought it was definitely worthwhile.”

Involvement of friends/family members

027

“Yeh, I tell everybody about it and they all enjoy listening to what I have been doing and yeh it is true isn’t it, it is a help.”

Novelty

029

“at the start it was good. It was something different…”

Self-reported improvement

007

“Like myself I can see benefits from it. Like I said numeracy, I deal with numbers a lot and different things. I can see a benefit that way.”

“I just liked doing the different training and keeping my brain active.” “I just liked using my brain a bit more than it actually does.”

Sense of achievement

020

“it was nice when it all came together you know, it was fun, you’d achieved something really.”

Time for participant

006

“I just sat quietly and did the training, so it’s been fine.”

“And that was it and I also appreciated that it was it was nice you know what I mean. I was sort of left alone as well to do your own thing. Although, sounds a bit harsh, but you know it is nice to have peace and quiet, it is something that you have got to do.”