Malik Yogender Kumar, Ray Adwitiya, Singh Shipra, Gupta Rajiv
Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Mental Health, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Rohtak, Haryana, India.
Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences, Delhi, India.
J Neurosci Rural Pract. 2024 Apr-Jun;15(2):227-232. doi: 10.25259/JNRP_475_2023. Epub 2023 Oct 12.
Dementia, often misperceived as an inherent facet of aging, is, in fact, a progressive neurodegenerative condition. It carries a significant stigma due to its associated psychological and behavioral manifestations, leading to neglect and abuse within households. Studies reveal an alarming 90% treatment gap for dementia in India, largely due to limited knowledge about symptom recognition and accessing services. Thus, enhancing dementia literacy becomes crucial for early diagnosis and proper management. This study aims to assess dementia literacy and familiarity with the term "dementia" in a North Indian tertiary health-care setting.
This cross-sectional study used a case vignette method among patients and their attendants at psychiatry outpatient setting in a tertiary care hospital. A validated Hindi-translated case vignette depicting a dementia patient was employed. The study gathered sociodemographic data, the case vignette, and three related questions. Participants read the vignette and provided answers. The analysis included 200 responses collected in 1 month.
Respondents predominantly associated the case's condition with memory issues, mental illness, and psychosocial factors. They suggested social support, a nurturing family environment, communal living, and consulting a doctor for the protagonist. Familiarity with "dementia" was at a mere 24%.
Dementia literacy and awareness of "dementia" are notably low in our sample. Urgent efforts are required to enhance dementia awareness to facilitate timely prevention, early detection, and effective management.
痴呆症常被误解为衰老的固有特征，实际上是一种进行性神经退行性疾病。由于其相关的心理和行为表现，它带有很大的污名，导致在家庭中被忽视和虐待。研究显示，印度痴呆症的治疗缺口高达90%，令人震惊，这主要是由于对症状识别和获取服务的知识有限。因此，提高痴呆症认知水平对于早期诊断和妥善管理至关重要。本研究旨在评估印度北部三级医疗保健机构中患者及其陪护人员的痴呆症认知水平以及对“痴呆症”一词的熟悉程度。
本横断面研究在一家三级医院精神科门诊的患者及其陪护人员中采用病例 vignette 法。使用了一个经过验证的印地语翻译的描述痴呆症患者的病例 vignette。该研究收集了社会人口统计学数据、病例 vignette 以及三个相关问题。参与者阅读 vignette 并提供答案。分析包括在1个月内收集的200份回复。
受访者主要将病例情况与记忆问题、精神疾病和社会心理因素联系起来。他们建议为患者提供社会支持、营造有爱的家庭环境、集体生活以及咨询医生。对“痴呆症”的熟悉程度仅为24%。
在我们的样本中，痴呆症认知水平和对“痴呆症”的知晓度明显较低。需要紧急努力提高痴呆症认知度，以促进及时预防、早期发现和有效管理。
