Constructions of dementia in the South Asian community: a systematic literature review

Abstract

South Asians are at a greater risk of developing dementia due to having a higher incidence of diabetes than the UK population as a whole. Despite this they seem under-represented in service use for dementia. This review aimed to provide an overview of research on the perceptions of dementia in the South Asian community and the role of culture, religion and spirituality in these conceptualisations. Following a systematic literature search, five articles were reviewed and analysed thematically. Six themes were identified; South Asians' knowledge of general mental illness and aging; the nature of dementia and its symptoms, beliefs about the causes of dementia; community perceptions regarding dementia; treatment for dementia as well as how service provision could be improved. In this under-researched area, the available evidence highlights that South Asians understanding of dementia is likely to be implicated in the low uptake of services. Future research is identified.

Keywords:

• dementia
• culture
• religion
• South Asian
• awareness
• understanding

Notes

Note: ^aThis review only included South Asians in the community without a diagnosis of dementia, excluding carers of those with dementia.