The World Alzheimer report 2019 showed how stigma is a huge compounder of the difficulties caused by dementia. In this webinar on the 11th April 2024, we learnt about research on how to measure and understand dementia stigma, about two interventions in Brazil and Kenya to reduce stigma, and the new 2024 worldwide survey on dementia stigma by Alzheimer’s Disease International.

The webinar covered:

• Introduction to the Global Observatory of Long-Term care and the Strengthening Responses to Dementia Interest Group and welcome (Adelina Comas-Herrera, Care Policy and Evaluation Centre, LSE, UK)
• Dementia Stigma Across Cultures: Developing Tools for Global Understanding and Change (Sara Evans-Lacko, LSE, UK)
• Development of an intervention to improve attitudes to dementia among community healthcare workers in Brazil (Deborah Oliveira, Universidad Andrés Bello, Chile)
• Acceptability and feasibility of a community dementia stigma reduction programme in Kenya (Christine Musyimi, Africa Mental Health Research and Training Foundation, Kenya)
• Attitudes to Dementia: The global survey that we all need to answer (Wendy Weidner, Alzheimer’s Disease International)
• Discussion about the Interest Group next steps led by Adelina Comas-Herrera and Q&A

You can find out more about the Strengthening Responses to Dementia Interest Group here

Relevant publications:

Bhatt, J., Brohan, E., Blasco, D., Oliveira, D., Bakolis, I., Comas-Herrera, A., D’Amico, F., Farina, N., Knapp, M., Stevens, M., Thornicroft, G., Wilson, E., Salcher-Konrad, M., Yang, L. H., & Evans-Lacko, S. (2023). The development and validation of the Discrimination and Stigma Scale Ultra Short for People Living with Dementia (DISCUS-Dementia). BJPsych Open, 9(5), e164. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2023.551

Evans-Lacko, S., Farina, N., Ferri, C., Franzon, A. C., Godoy, C., Hurzuk, S., Jacobs, R., Mata, F., Mateus, E., Musyimi, C., Oliveira, D., Ong, E., López-Ortega, M., Surawattananon, N., & Weidner, W. (2022). Don’t forget I’m human –reducing dementia stigma. The STRiDE Anti-Stigma Toolkit. London School of Economics and Political Science. https://stridedementia.turtl.co/story/anti-stigma-toolkit/page/1

Hurzuk, S., Farina, N., Pattabiraman, M., Ramasamy, N., Alladi, S., Rajagopalan, J., Comas-Herrera, A., Thomas, P. T., & Evans-Lacko, S. (2022). Understanding, experiences and attitudes of dementia in India: A qualitative study. Dementia, 21(7). https://doi.org/10.1177/14713012221118774

Jacobs, R., Schneider, M., Farina, N., du Toit, P., & Evans-Lacko, S. (2022). Stigma and its implications for dementia in South Africa: a multi-stakeholder exploratory study. Ageing and Society. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0144686x2200040x

Musyimi, C. W., Ndetei, D. M., Evans-Lacko, S., Oliveira, D., Mutunga, E., & Farina, N. (2021). Perceptions and experiences of dementia and its care in rural Kenya. Dementia, 20(8). https://doi.org/10.1177/14713012211014800

Oliveira, D., Da Mata, F. A. F., Mateus, E., Musyimi, C. W., Farina, N., Ferri, C. P., & Evans-Lacko, S. (2023). Experiences of stigma and discrimination among people living with dementia and family carers in Brazil: qualitative study. Ageing and Society, 43(2). https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X21000660

Oliveira, D., Godoy, C., Da Mata, F. A. F., Mateus, E., Franzon, A. C. A., Farina, N., Evans-Lacko, S., & Ferri, C. P. (2022). Reducing dementia-related stigma and discrimination among community health workers in Brazil: protocol for a randomised controlled feasibility trial. BMJ Open, 12(7). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-060033