An attribution model of An attribution model of stigma towards a person stigma towards a person with Alzheimer's diseasewith Alzheimer's disease

Perla WernerPerla Werner

Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Faculty of Social Welfare and Health SciencesSciences

University of HaifaUniversity of Haifa

IsraelIsrael

Alzheimer’s diseaseAlzheimer’s disease

Incurable, degenerative and Incurable, degenerative and progressive diseaseprogressive disease

Affects mental, cognitiveAffects mental, cognitive

and physical functioningand physical functioning

AD is the most common type of dementia

6 out of 10 cases of dementia are AD

PrevalencePrevalence

There are an estimated 30 million people with dementia worldwide.

By 2050, it is projected that this figure will have increased to over 100 million.

Stigma and ADStigma and AD

It is widely assumed that AD is It is widely assumed that AD is associated with stigmaassociated with stigma

Scant empirical evidenceScant empirical evidence

Theory - drivenTheory - driven

Attribution modelAttribution modelCorrigan and colleaguesCorrigan and colleagues

Attributions ofAttributions of responsibilityresponsibility Emotional reactionsEmotional reactions DiscriminationDiscrimination

DangerousnessDangerousness

AimAim To examine the relationships To examine the relationships

between causal attributions (e.g., between causal attributions (e.g., responsibility), familiarity with the responsibility), familiarity with the disease, dangerousness, emotional disease, dangerousness, emotional responses (pity, anger, fear) and responses (pity, anger, fear) and helping and discriminatory helping and discriminatory behaviors (avoidance, segregation, behaviors (avoidance, segregation, coercion) towards AD in the lay coercion) towards AD in the lay publicpublic

MethodsMethodsA nationally representative A nationally representative

sample of 1,002 adults sample of 1,002 adults Were interviewed using CATIWere interviewed using CATIAdapted version of the AQ-27Adapted version of the AQ-27

Participants’ Participants’ characteristicscharacteristics

(n = 1,002)(n = 1,002) 52.6% F52.6% F

Mean age = 46.5 (SD = 17.7)Mean age = 46.5 (SD = 17.7)

Mean number of years of education Mean number of years of education = 13.5 (SD = 3.4)= 13.5 (SD = 3.4)

Jewish 83.9%Jewish 83.9%

Cognitive attributionsCognitive attributions

2.2 2.2

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

Dangerousness Responsibility

Emotional attributionsEmotional attributions

6.8

2.1 2.1

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Pity Anger Fear

Behavioral attributionsBehavioral attributions

4

6.1

4.5

6.4

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Segregation Coercion Avoidance Help

Responsibility

Dangerousness

Pity

Help

Model for willingness to help Model for willingness to help (n = 1,002)(n = 1,002)

Chi square = 7.57df = 3p = 0.56NFI - .979RMSEA = .039

Familiarity

-.09**

-.08**

.44

.-15***

.31***

.-08**

Model for discriminationModel for discrimination

ResponsibilityCoercion

Segregation

AvoidanceFamiliarity

Dangerousness

Fear

.31***

.-07*

.12***

.12***

-.08** .14***.11**

.64***

.30***

.-08*

.-16***Chi square = 12.44 df = 3p = 0.13NFI - .990RMSEA = .024

Relationships with Relationships with gendergender

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Pity Coercion

Male

Female

Relationship with Relationship with ethnicityethnicity

1

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

2

2.2

2.4

2.6

2.8

3

Dangerousness Responsibility

Other

Jewish

Relationship with Relationship with ethnicityethnicity

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Pity Anger Fear

Other

Jewish

Relationship with Relationship with ethnicityethnicity

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

Segregation Avoidance

Other

Jewish

Summary of findingsSummary of findings

Low attributions of responsibility Low attributions of responsibility and dangerousnessand dangerousness

Low negative feelingsLow negative feelingsHigh positive feelingsHigh positive feelingsPartial support of an extended Partial support of an extended

version of Attribution Theoryversion of Attribution TheoryMinority and younger Minority and younger

participants reported less participants reported less discriminatory behaviors discriminatory behaviors

Theoretical implicationsTheoretical implications

The role of other attributions The role of other attributions should be examinedshould be examined

The role of other emotional The role of other emotional reactions should be examinedreactions should be examined

The role of ethnicity and The role of ethnicity and culture in the attribution model culture in the attribution model should be elucidatedshould be elucidated

Practical implicationsPractical implications

Disseminate findings in order Disseminate findings in order to increase early diagnosisto increase early diagnosis

Develop and implement Develop and implement programs to increase the programs to increase the familiarity and knowledge familiarity and knowledge about ADabout AD

Replicate study in professional Replicate study in professional samplessamples

Thank youThank you