The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Dementia (London). 2024 Aug;23(6):1001-1020. doi: 10.1177/14713012241249796. Epub 2024 Apr 24.
Research documents the presence of stigma and discrimination as key components in the lived experience of dementia. However, to date, there is limited understanding regarding how social location, particularly as it relates to culture and race, may shape this experience of stigma and discrimination. In this qualitative exploratory study, personal interviews were held with ten Chinese Canadians living with dementia focused on better understanding how culture, race, and dementia stigma influence their experiences. From the onset, themes related to stigma and discrimination were woven into the participants' stories about living with dementia. Consistent with other research, all participants described an increased sense of vulnerability and invisibility related to how both they and others responded to their diagnosis of dementia. Participants also provided examples of how this experience of stigma was compounded by culture, race, and immigration status. Importantly, these acts of stigma and discrimination were both externally and internally imposed, resulting in feelings of lack of safety and insecurity. This research draws attention to the increased vulnerability that accompanies a diagnosis of dementia and illustrates how this may be heightened by one's culture and racism.
研究表明，污名和歧视是痴呆症患者生活经历中的两个重要组成部分。然而，迄今为止，对于社会地位（尤其是与文化和种族有关的社会地位）如何影响这种污名和歧视的体验，我们的了解有限。在这项定性探索性研究中，对 10 名生活在加拿大的华裔痴呆症患者进行了个人访谈，重点是更好地了解文化、种族和痴呆症污名如何影响他们的体验。从一开始，参与者的故事就交织着与污名和歧视有关的主题，这些故事描述了他们在患有痴呆症后的脆弱感和被忽视感。与其他研究一致，所有参与者都描述了一种与他们和其他人对痴呆症诊断的反应有关的更强的脆弱感。参与者还举例说明了这种污名化的体验如何因文化、种族和移民身份而加剧。重要的是，这些污名化和歧视行为既来自外部，也来自内部，导致了缺乏安全感和不安全感。这项研究引起了人们对痴呆症诊断所带来的更高脆弱性的关注，并说明了文化和种族主义如何加剧这种脆弱性。
