The relative contributions of disease label and disease prognosis to Alzheimer's stigma: A vignette-based experiment

Rebecca Johnson, Kristin Harkins, Mark Cary, Pamela Sankar and Jason Karlawish

Social Science & Medicine, 2015, vol. 143, issue C, 117-127

Abstract: The classification of Alzheimer's disease is undergoing a significant transformation. Researchers have created the category of “preclinical Alzheimer's,” characterized by biomarker pathology rather than observable symptoms. Diagnosis and treatment at this stage could allow preventing Alzheimer's cognitive decline. While many commentators have worried that persons given a preclinical Alzheimer's label will be subject to stigma, little research exists to inform whether the stigma attached to the label of clinical Alzheimer's will extend to a preclinical disorder that has the label of “Alzheimer's” but lacks the symptoms or expected prognosis of the clinical form.

Keywords: Alzheimer's; Stigma; Ethics; Disease risk; Vignette-based experiments (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:socmed:v:143:y:2015:i:c:p:117-127

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DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2015.08.031

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