Why don't older adults with subjective memory complaints seek help?

摘要: BACKGROUND: Subjective memory complaints (SMCs) are common among older adults, often causing significant distress and showing strong relationships to future cognitive decline. However, low rates of help-seeking for well documented. Little is known about the reasons behind decision seek or not help with problems. The common-sense model illness perception proposes that beliefs people hold their health underlie behaviour. present study investigated factors underlying in SMCs within framework perception. METHODS: Cognition, perceptions, coping styles, depression anxiety were assessed 98 adults SMCs, aged 50 years above, including 60 attending a clinic 38 non-help-seekers. RESULTS: Objective performance did differ between participants who had sought those not. Logistic regression revealed perceptions social comparison causal attributions predict More general style help-seeking. Furthermore, more likely have close relative dementia. CONCLUSIONS: results suggest memory, rather than objective impairment, associated SMCs. findings providing education regarding problems, particular challenging attributions, may encourage improve care early stages