Open AccessAnticipated Stigma and Dementia-Related Anxiety in Middle-Aged and Older Adults
Author(s) -
Molly Maxfield,
Jeff Greenberg
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
geropsych
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.417
H-Index - 19
eISSN - 1662-971X
pISSN - 1662-9647
DOI - 10.1024/1662-9647/a000234
Subject(s) - dementia , anxiety , stigma (botany) , psychosocial , psychiatry , clinical psychology , gerontology , medicine , psychology , disease
Heightened awareness and perceived negativity of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) may increase health-related concerns about developing ADRD, also called dementia-related anxiety. Anticipating greater levels of ADRD stigma was expected to be associated with greater dementia-related anxiety. Middle-aged and older adults ( N = 183, aged 40-80, M = 59.57) responded to online questionnaires about anticipated ADRD stigma, ADRD exposure, dementia-related anxiety, and potential psychosocial correlates of dementia-related anxiety. Multivariate regression analyses revealed that self-perceived ADRD risk, ADRD exposure, and anticipated stigma remained significantly associated with dementia-related anxiety, after controlling for demographic variables. Reducing ADRD stigma may ease dementia-related anxiety, an area for future research.