Public profiles in Alzheimer's disease stigma: Unsupported, discriminated, and alone

Public stigma of Alzheimer's disease (AD) can delay help-seeking and be a barrier to research participation. This study aimed to understand what, if any, patterns exist among aspects of AD stigma. Knowing this may advance opportunities to reduce AD stigma.

Adult respondents (N = 317) read a vignette about a man with mild stage AD dementia. Afterward, respondents answered the modified Family Stigma in Alzheimer's Disease Scale (FS-ADS), which measures: Structural Discrimination, Negative Severity Attributions, Negative Aesthetic Attributions, Antipathy, Supportiveness, Pity, and Social Distance. In this correlational study, latent class analyses were used to derive response profiles. Regression models were used to assess correspondence of personal characteristics with profile membership.

Three profiles emerged from latent class analysis of four FS-ADS domains of: Structural Discrimination, Negative Severity Attributions, Supportiveness, and Social Distance. Two profiles characterized about 66.8% of respondents and were similar except for one distinguishing quality: beliefs that a person with AD would receive support from others. Additionally, membership in the "expecting higher support" profile was associated with identifying as White and having lower educational attainment, while membership in the "expecting lower support" profile was associated with relatively higher educational attainment.

Beliefs about a lack of support, worries about discrimination, and expectations of social distance may depict a topic cluster to leverage in public messaging campaigns intended to reduce AD stigma. In doing so, our findings suggest it will be essential to consider the age and education level of the intended audience.