A Two-Step Model for Encouraging the General Public to Exhibit Helping Behaviors Toward People Living With Dementia

Abstract

Background and Objectives Dementia awareness initiatives aim to promote helping behaviors towards people living with dementia. We applied the bystander intervention process model in the context of the general public’s helping behaviors towards people living with dementia, and we sought to identify the mechanisms underlying the association between dementia knowledge and helping behaviors. Research Design and Methods In a survey featuring vignettes for the general public in Japan (N = 904), we presented four situations in which people could exhibit helping behaviors towards a person with dementia. Guttman scale analysis was used to test this sequential ordering of the bystander intervention process model: (1) interpreting the need to help, (2) perceiving personal responsibility, and (3) intention to provide help. Mediation analysis was used to examine whether the effects of knowledge on helping behaviors were mediated by attitude towards people living with dementia and the bystander intervention process. Results The results support the two-step model in which interpreting the situation as one where assistance is required is a prerequisite of helping behavior. Dementia knowledge had a significant total effect on intention to provide help (β = 0.136, p < 0.001). Interpretation (indirect effect: β = 0.092, p < 0.001), as well as attitude (indirect effect: β = 0.044, p < 0.001), was found to completely mediate the effect of dementia knowledge on intention to provide help. Discussion and Implications Dementia awareness initiatives designed to promote helping behaviors should focus on knowledge transfer, improving the general public’s attitudes towards people living with dementia, and their ability to interpret when such people need assistance.

Helping behaviours of community members towards older adults and the related factors: a cross‐sectional study

“…Meanwhile, more knowledge of dementia was associated with both a little helping behaviour and advanced helping behaviour. These results are consistent with previous studies that revealed the associations between knowledge/attitudes and the helping behaviours of community members towards PLWD 7,8,10 . Our results also suggest that dementia knowledge and interactions with PLWD could promote in‐depth advanced helping behaviours in addition to attitude improvement by reducing dementia‐related stigma.…”

“…These results are consistent with previous studies that revealed the associations between knowledge/attitudes and the helping behaviours of community members towards PLWD. 7,8,10 Our results also suggest that dementia knowledge and interactions with PLWD could promote in-depth advanced helping behaviours in addition to attitude improvement by reducing dementia-related stigma. While this study did not specifically investigate ageist attitudes or interactions with older adults without dementia, these could also influence helping behaviours and should therefore be investigated in future research.…”

“…Several studies have revealed that community members' knowledge of dementia and/or interaction with PLWD was associated with positive attitudes towards PLWD and the intention to help. [7][8][9][10] 10 Experiences of caring for PLWD were associated with positive attitudes towards PLWD in nursing students 11 and a person-centred care approach in healthcare professionals. 12 Interventions have also been provided to improve attitudes and helping behaviours towards PLWD.…”

“…Most previous studies have focused specifically on planned helping behaviours for people living with dementia (PLWD). Several studies have revealed that community members' knowledge of dementia and/or interaction with PLWD was associated with positive attitudes towards PLWD and the intention to help 7–10 . Experiences of caring for PLWD were associated with positive attitudes towards PLWD in nursing students 11 and a person‐centred care approach in healthcare professionals 12 .…”

Effects of a dementia educational programme using virtual reality on nurses in an acute care hospital: A pre‐post comparative study

“…The said intention was measured using four vignettes in which local residents encountered a PLWD requiring help. The vignettes were drawn from previous interviews with PLWD, and their families and have shown good validity and reliability in our previous study (Matsumoto et al., 2022). One example of the vignettes is that ‘ One day in mid‐summer, you met an older woman wearing a heavy coat ’.…”