Representations of dementias in the press (2001-2010)

Resumen

In the first year of the 21st century, the World Health Organisation added itsweight toWorld Mental Health Day, with a view to stimulating interest in mentaldisorders, particularly through media coverage. This paper presents the resultsof a quantitative study on representations of types of dementia in threePortuguese daily newspapers between 2001 and 2010. The author did not wantto limit the study to the articles in the health sections and therefore looked at thewhole of the newspapers. This revealed a regular coverage of the topic in every section of the papers, especially with regard to Alzheimer’s disease, and with alarge variety of sources, protagonists and specific subjects. It also demonstratedthe existence of an inclusive attitude that is concomitant with an objective handlingof the topic. As a whole, Portuguese printed media news about dementias isfree of negative stereotypes and tends to give readers enough information andto include dementia among the themes that are both consensual in and importantto the public space.