‘This Is Us’ Alzheimer's-based storyline reduced stigma, promoted discussions

An Alzheimer's disease-centered storyline in the primetime television drama series “This Is Us” reduced stigma around dementia and prompted family discussions, researchers reported in the Journal of Health Communications.

Beth L. Hoffman, PhD, MPH, a postdoctoral associate at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, and colleagues used survey data and focus groups to determine if a television entertainment narrative about Alzheimer's disease would influence its viewers in any way.

“Given that the average U.S. adult spends about 2,000 hours watching primetime television per year, but only an hour with a health care professional, it’s critical for clinicians and public health professionals to understand how television narratives impact health decisions,” Hoffman said in a release from the university.

Hoffman and colleagues used a mixed-method approach of online survey participants who were viewers of the series (n = 720) and four focus groups (n = 12), with a subset of survey respondents to systematically assess perceptions of the Alzheimer's disease and caregiving storyline from the series and its influence on viewers’ behaviors.

According to the survey responses, more than 43% of participants either had a friend or close relative previously diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Focus group discussions showed that viewers connected with characters in the series and had similar discussions with their families in the real world.

“Our findings demonstrate that the entertainment industry need not shy away from complex topics,” Hoffman said in the release. “About 9 million U.S. adults have lived experience with Alzheimer’s disease and caregiving, and our work found that the storyline on ‘This Is Us’ helped them feel seen.”

According to the release, the television series’ storyline was developed in consultation with Hollywood, Health & Society, a program at the University of Southern California.

Reference:

• A new Pitt study suggests the popular TV drama “This Is Us” positively impacted those affected by Alzheimer’s disease. https://www.upmc.com/media/news/090122-this-is-us-study. Published Sept. 1, 2022. Accessed Sept. 2, 2022.