Estigma hacia la demencia: Una revisión

Dementia, known asmajor neurocognitive disorder on DSM V, is a public health priority due to its increasing prevalence and individual and social consequences. Stigma is a social exclusion and devaluation, as a result of negative perceptions towardsa persons' attribute or behavior. It is considered as a collective phenomenon related to this condition, as it impacts quality of life of people with dementia and their family environments. Among other consequences, stigma becomes a barrier to timely access to diagnosis, treatment and comprehensive support. The main purpose of this review is to describe and to analyze the phenomenon of stigma related to dementia as an emerging issue for Latin America. Stigma towards dementia can be classified as follows: public stigma (members of the community), professional and structural stigma (institutions, public policy, healthcare professionals, etc.), stigma in people with dementia know as self-stigma, and family stigma (carers, family environment). For each of these groups stigma is developed withspecific characteristics andconsequences. Stigma is an important component of dementia strategies involvingdiagnosis, treatment and promotion of social integration for people with dementia and requires an integrated approach from ethical, social and health perspectives.