Raising the curtain on stigma associated with dementia: fostering a new cultural imaginary for a more inclusive society

ABSTRACT

Persons living with dementia and their carers experience stigma. Stigma intensifies social exclusion and threatens health and well-being. Decreasing stigma associated with dementia is a public health priority across national and international settings and is a key component of National Dementia Strategies. Research-based drama is an effective public health strategy for reducing stigma and enhancing well-being. In this article we focus on survey data from an evaluation of a research-based drama called Cracked: new light on dementia. Our analysis illustrates the effectiveness of Cracked in reducing stigma by: decreasing health care practitioners’ and family carers’ prejudice, fostering critical reflection about relational practices, and fostering a commitment to individual and collective action to address stigma. Cracked is well-positioned to respond to urgent calls for culture change, which include reducing societal misconceptions and stereotypes around dementia and promoting inclusive and meaningful engagement of persons living with dementia across all levels of society.

KEYWORDS:

• Research-based drama
• stigma
• relational caring

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Alzheimer Society of Canada Operating Grant; Canadian Institutes of Health Research Knowledge Translation Supplement Grant under Grant [KTB-117419]. Alisa Grigorovich holds a Postdoctoral Ontario Women’s Health Scholars Award, funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Ontario, Canada.