Caring well? How dementia mindsets relate to work-related well-being among health care professionals

Dementia care professionals face considerable emotional and organizational demands, yet psychological factors associated with their occupational well-being remain insufficiently understood. Drawing on mindset theory, this study examined dementia-related beliefs as a potential contributor to work-related mental health and validated the French version of the Dementia Mindset Scale (DMS-Fr).

A total of 378 professionals employed in residential aged care facilities or specialized Alzheimer teams across France completed an online survey.

Confirmatory factor analyses supported the two-factor structure, with satisfactory internal consistency for fixed (α = 0.79) and malleable (α = 0.75) mindsets. In adjusted regression analyses, a malleable dementia mindset was associated with lower disengagement (B = -0.12, p = 0.007) and greater positive affect (B = 0.22, p < 0.001), whereas a fixed mindset was associated with lower perceived competence (B = -0.09, p < 0.001), greater disengagement (B = 0.09, p = 0.011), and greater negative affect (B = 0.13, p = 0.042).

These findings provide initial cross-cultural support for the DMS in the French context and suggest that dementia-related beliefs constitute a modest but consistent psychological factor linked to occupational well-being. Targeting such beliefs may offer promising avenues for promoting mental health among dementia care professionals.