Overview

This short perspective article considers ageism in relation to dementia, why young people are important in tackling ageism and stigma, and the role of media and dementia knowledge in this. Educational interventions for young people can increase dementia knowledge which may be able to reduce negative ageist behaviors and address stigmatizing attitudes that form from many different factors. It is important that young people recognise that there are many different types of dementia and not just Alzheimer’s disease, are aware of the risk factors for dementia and that it is not an inevitable consequence of normal ageing. However, to create effective dementia education, it is important to understand what the determinants of dementia attitudes are in young people. Whilst we are aware of the attitudes held by young people from a limited number of studies, it is less clear how these attitudes have formed in the first place and how these change overtime. By addressing these questions, we can seek to create effective interventions that take these factors into consideration in tackling dementia stigma in the future.