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Emotional reactions toward people with dementia – results of a population survey from Germany

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 November 2013

Olaf von dem Knesebeck ,
Matthias C. Angermeyer ,
Daniel Lüdecke  and
Christopher Kofahl
Olaf von dem Knesebeck*
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Sociology, University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
Matthias C. Angermeyer
Affiliation:
Centre for Public Mental Health, Gösing am Wagram, Austria
Daniel Lüdecke
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Sociology, University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
Christopher Kofahl
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Sociology, University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Dr Olaf von dem Knesebeck, PhD, Department of Medical Sociology, University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, D-20246, Hamburg. Phone: +49-40-741057849; Fax: +49-40-741054934. Email: o.knesebeck@uke.de.
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Abstract

Background:

Emotional reactions toward people with disorders are an important component of stigma process. In this study, emotional reactions of the German public toward people with dementia were analyzed.

Methods:

Analyses are based on a national mail survey conducted in 2012. Sample consists of persons aged 18 to 79 years living in private households in Germany. In all 1,795 persons filled out the questionnaire, reflecting a response rate of 78%. Respondents were asked about their emotional reactions and beliefs about dementia.

Results:

A vast majority of the respondents expressed pro-social reactions, i.e. they felt pity, sympathy, and the need to help a person with dementia. Dementia patients rarely evoked anger (10% or less). Between 25% and 50% of the population showed reactions indicating fear. Respondents who had contacts with a person having dementia or had cared for a dementia patient tended to show less negative reactions (fear, anger) and more pro-social reactions. Respondents who showed pronounced fearful reactions were less likely to believe that dementia patients had a high quality of life, were less willing to care for a family member with dementia at home, and were more skeptical about early detection of dementia. Comparison with the results of another study suggests that fearful reactions toward persons with dementia are much more pronounced than in the case of depression, and less pronounced than in the case of schizophrenia.

Conclusions:

Fearful reactions toward people with dementia are quite common in the German general public. To reduce fear, educational programs and contact-based approaches should be considered.

Keywords

emotional reactionsdementiapopulation surveyGermany
Type
Research Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 26 , Issue 3 , March 2014 , pp. 435 - 441
Copyright
Copyright © International Psychogeriatric Association 2013 

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