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Published on: February 2, 2020
Why do ethnic elders present later to UK dementia services? A qualitative study
Naaheed Mukadam1, Claudia Cooper, Behzad Basit
1University College London, Department of Mental Health Sciences, London, UK. naaheed@gmail.com
International Psychogeriatrics
|February 26, 2011
Summary
Minority ethnic (ME) carers delay seeking dementia help due to cultural beliefs, impacting early diagnosis. Interventions are needed to address these attitudes for equitable healthcare access.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Public Health
- Sociology
Background:
- Western policies emphasize early dementia diagnosis.
- Minority ethnic (ME) populations present later for dementia care than indigenous groups.
- Understanding help-seeking attitudes in ME populations is crucial for intervention development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the relationship between attitudes towards dementia help-seeking and the help-seeking pathway in ME and indigenous populations.
- To identify barriers and facilitators to dementia care access for ME families.
Main Methods:
- Purposive sampling of 18 family carers of people with dementia from major UK ethnic groups.
- Semi-structured interviews to investigate help-seeking barriers, facilitators, and diagnostic pathways.
- Independent coding of interviews until theoretical saturation.
Main Results:
- ME carers delayed help-seeking significantly longer than indigenous counterparts.
- Beliefs about familial responsibility, purposelessness of diagnosis, and negative views on psychiatry were key barriers.
- Help-seeking was often delayed until care became unmanageable or external concerns were raised.
Conclusions:
- Cultural beliefs among ME carers act as a significant barrier to early dementia diagnosis.
- Interventions should aim to reframe dementia diagnosis as a tool for planning and crisis avoidance.
- Further research is needed to develop targeted interventions for ME communities to ensure equitable healthcare access.
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