Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) can result in significant cognitive decline as the diseases progress. As of 2019, approximately 50 million people were living with dementia worldwide (World Health Organization, 2019). Given that early detection of ADRD is essential for an individual’s future planning (e.g., through treatment and quality of life decisions) (Hodgson & Cutler, 2004), investigating characteristics of individuals who display help-seeking behavior is critical. The present study examined self-reported dementia-related anxiety, anticipated ADRD stigma, and self-perceived ADRD risk among middle-aged and older adults who did or did not receive memory screenings. Researchers hypothesized that participants who sought memory screenings would report significantly 1) higher dementia-related anxiety, 2) lower anticipated ADRD stigma, and 3) higher self-perceived ADRD risk compared to participants who did not receive memory screenings. Fifty individuals (Mage = 70.92, SD = 6.08) participated; 25 were recruited after completing memory screenings at the UCCS Aging Center, and 25 were recruited from the UCCS participant registry. Every participant completed an in-person interview and a questionnaire packet, including measures of dementia-related anxiety, anticipated ADRD stigma, self-perceived ADRD risk, and basic demographic information. Comparisons of memory screening and non-memory screening groups revealed no significant differences in self-reported dementia-related anxiety, anticipated ADRD stigma, or self-perceived ADRD risk. Overall, t-test analyses suggest that dementia-related anxiety, anticipated ADRD stigma, and self-perceived ADRD risk do not appear to be associated with help-seeking behavior.