Dementia in the movies: the clinical picture

Gerritsen, Debby L.; Kuin, Y.; Nijboer, J.F.

doi:10.1080/13607863.2013.837150

Cited by 27 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…In the novel Iris [25], this was shown as forgetting to come out with the right words: "She suddenly finds it difficult in front of a large audience to come out with the words to reply to questions, something with which she has previously been quite at ease" ( [25], p. 441). Gerritsen et al [49] analysis of 23 fictional movies with a theme of dementia reports that 18 films showed memory problems, and 10 showed word finding difficulties.…”

Section: Depiction Of People With Dementiamentioning

confidence: 99%

Negative stereotypes, fear and social distance: a systematic review of depictions of dementia in popular culture in the context of stigma

Low

Purwaningrum

2020

BMC Geriatr

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Background Literature, film and news media reflect and shape social perceptions of dementia which in turn impact on dementia stigma. The aim of this paper is to systematically review papers on the depiction and frames for dementia in literature, film, mass media and social media in order to better understand cultural stigma related to dementia. Methods A systematic search of electronic databases was undertaken combining phrases relating to dementia, popular culture and representations, and phrases relating to dementia and stigma. We searched for scientific English language papers which included original analysis on the representation or depiction of dementia in popular culture (i.e. in film and television, literature, news, social media and language). Articles published between 1989–2018 were included. The search was conducted in December 2017 and updated in January 2019. Inductive thematic synthesis was undertaken. Results A total of 60 articles were included from an initial sample of 37022. Dementia was almost always depicted in conjunction with ageing, and often equated with Alzheimer’s disease. Common frames for dementia were biomedical - dementia involves the deterioration of the brain for which there is no current cure; natural disaster or epidemic - dementia is a force of nature which will overwhelm mankind; and living dead – people with dementia lose their brains, memories, minds and consequently their personhood and human rights. There were examples of more positive depictions of dementia including expressing love and individual agency and experiencing personal growth. Feelings commonly associated with dementia were fear, shame, compassion and guilt, and depictions often resulted in a sense of social distance. Conclusions Depictions of dementia in popular culture are associated with negative images and feelings, and social distance between people with dementia and those without. These correspond to dementia stigma in the public and as experienced by people with dementia. Further research is needed into the impact of literature, news and social media on dementia stigma and these cultural mediums might be used to reduce stigma.

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Section: Depiction Of People With Dementiamentioning

confidence: 99%

Negative stereotypes, fear and social distance: a systematic review of depictions of dementia in popular culture in the context of stigma

Low

Purwaningrum

2020

BMC Geriatr

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“…In the context of cinema films, the explicit portrayal of the clinical picture of dementia has been found to be fairly accurate but with an emphasis on cognitive symptoms, fluctuations of consciousness and disengaged behaviour (Gerritsen, Kuin, & Nijboer, 2014) and a failure to portray people with dementia as active agents. Drawing on Post's (1995) description of hyper-cognitivism, Swinnen (2012) reflects on the possibility that films contribute towards maintaining the stigma of dementia and to people's perception of a dissolution of the self through their emphasis on cognitive difficulties (such as language and memory).…”

Section: Portrayal In the Mediamentioning

confidence: 99%

Ethical implications of the perception and portrayal of dementia

2016

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The way we perceive and portray dementia has implications for how we act towards people with dementia and how we address the issue of dementia within society. As a multi-disciplinary working group, established within the framework of the European Dementia Ethics Network of Alzheimer Europe, we aimed to describe the different ways that people with dementia are perceived and portrayed within society and to consider the moral implications of this. In the current paper, we address perceptions of dementia as reflected in explanatory models of its cause and nature, descriptions of characteristics of people with dementia, the use of language, media portrayals and the views of people living with dementia. Academics and professionals could use this exploration to reflect on their behaviour and their use of language regarding people with dementia. About perceptions and the portrayal of dementiaPeople make sense of dementia through the meanings and explanations they give to their personal observations, knowledge, beliefs, expectations and experiences, and through direct and indirect interaction with other people. The meanings and explanations we construct reflect complex processes of attending to some factors while disregarding others (Schacter, 2011). Hence, certain characteristics and ways of making sense of dementia become emphasised whilst others are given little or no attention. The way we perceive and portray dementia has implications for how we act towards people with dementia and how we address the issue of dementia within society, for example, in terms of care, treatment, social inclusion and human rights. As such, our perceptions and portrayals of dementia affect the lives of people with dementia. Since perceptions and portrayals prompt and/or permit actions that may be beneficial or harmful for people living with dementia, we

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“…Capstick 2007 for a full discussion), some commentators suggested that the performance of the actor in the central role was not entirely convincing as a person with dementia. In keeping with the findings of Gerritsen (2014), in this case, the urge to avoid caricature or undue negativity resulted in a portrayal which for the most part resembled, as one viewer noted, "mild depression, rather than dementia." As Miles and Plate (2004) note in their critique of capitalist/industrialist cinema, films made in these alternative traditions are more likely to encourage identification with the other as a fellow human being than as an alien or victim of disease.…”

Section: Towards Epistemic Justicementioning

confidence: 75%

Challenging representations of dementia in contemporary Western fiction film. From epistemic injustice to social participation

Capstick¹,

Chatwin²,

Ludwin³

2015

Popularizing Dementia

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Dementia in the movies: the clinical picture

Abstract: The clinical picture of dementia portrayed in fictional movies is mild and may be misleading.

Cited by 27 publications

References 19 publications

Negative stereotypes, fear and social distance: a systematic review of depictions of dementia in popular culture in the context of stigma

Negative stereotypes, fear and social distance: a systematic review of depictions of dementia in popular culture in the context of stigma

Ethical implications of the perception and portrayal of dementia

Challenging representations of dementia in contemporary Western fiction film. From epistemic injustice to social participation

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