Dementia-related stigma among health professionals, family carers, people with dementia, and the general public in Brazil.

Abstract

People living with dementia often experience stigma and discrimination. There is a dearth of research on this topic in low-and middle-income countries, where the majority of people living with dementia reside. We conducted a secondary analysis of an international database from Alzheimer's Disease International on the knowledge and attitudes toward people living with dementia among four groups: carers, health professionals, people living with dementia, and the general public. We used data from Brazil (n = 2,907), explored the levels and types of stigma and discrimination among the different groups, and used logistic regression to identify participants' sociodemographic characteristics related to the different stigma's domains. Some of the most significant findings are: One in three health professionals believes dementia is a natural part of aging and that it is not important to provide a formal/explicit diagnosis for people living with dementia, more than half of the general public believe that other people do not want to be friends with people living with dementia, nearly 32% of carers believe that individuals living with dementia pose a danger to other people, and more than 30% of carers and health professions consider that there is a dearth of reliable sources of information about dementia. Different forms of stigma were identified in the four groups. Further studies should be carried out to explore other sectors of the population with representation of the different cultural and socioeconomic settings that comprise Brazilian society. Clinical Impact StatementThis is the first study to explore dementia-related stigma in a large sample of different population groups (carers, health professionals, people living with dementia, and the general public) in Brazil. This information can guide the development of antistigma interventions, public policies, and future research aimed at reducing stigma and improving diagnostic rates and long-term care for people living with dementia and their families in different settings.