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Can we reduce the stigmatisation experience with psychosocial interventions? An investigation of the meeting centre support programme impact on people with cognitive impairments

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 August 2021

K. Lion ,
D. Szcześniak ,
S. Evans ,
S. Evans ,
E. Farina ,
D. Brooker ,
R. Chattat ,
F. Meiland ,
R.-M. Droes  and
J. Rymaszewska
K. Lion*
Affiliation:
Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Nathan, Australia
D. Szcześniak
Affiliation:
Department Of Psychiatry, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland
S. Evans
Affiliation:
Association For Dementia Studies, University of Worcester, Worcester, United Kingdom
S. Evans
Affiliation:
Association For Dementia Studies, University of Worcester, Worcester, United Kingdom
E. Farina
Affiliation:
Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
D. Brooker
Affiliation:
Association For Dementia Studies, University of Worcester, Worcester, United Kingdom
R. Chattat
Affiliation:
Department Of Psychology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
F. Meiland
Affiliation:
Department Of Medicine For Older People, Amsterdam UMC University Medical Centres, Amsterdam, Netherlands
R.-M. Droes
Affiliation:
Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute Department Of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, Netherlands
J. Rymaszewska
Affiliation:
Department Of Psychiatry, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

People living with dementia or mild cognitive impairment (MCI) experience stigmatisation and there are not many specific psychosocial interventions dedicated to help them coping with this issue, reducing its impact on their lives.

Objectives

This study aimed to a) investigate the stigmatisation level among people with dementia and MCI in Poland, Italy and the United Kingdom and b) assess the role of the Meeting Centre Support Programme (MCSP) in decreasing stigmatisation.

Methods

We investigated outcomes for 114 people with dementia and MCI living in Italy, Poland and the UK who participated 6 months in MCSP or usual care (UC) using a pre/post-test control group study design. Level of stigmatisation was assessed with the Stigma Impact Scale: neurological impairment (SIS).

Results

Stigmatisation level (SIS) among participants varied from 2 to 65 (median=33.5; Q1=27; Q3=41) with people from the UK experiencing a statistically significantly higher level of stigmatisation than people in Italy and Poland. In Italy, stigmatisation was lower (p=0.02) in the MCSP group following the intervention. In Poland, the social isolation level did not significantly change in MCSP, but increased (p=0.05) in UC. In the UK, the social rejection level raised (p=0.03) in MCSP. Overall, the combined data of the three countries did not show statistically significant differences in SIS between MCSP and UC.

Conclusions

Stigmatisation among people with dementia and MCI is complex and seems culturally dependent. There is a great opportunity in psychosocial interventions to reduce the burden of stigma among people with dementia which requires further investigation.

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

Keywords

dementiaStigmaattitudesocial isolation
Type
Abstract
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 64 , Special Issue S1: Abstracts of the 29th European Congress of Psychiatry , April 2021 , pp. S137
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
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