“It may just be aging”: illness representations of Brazilians with Alzheimer’s disease

Different perspectives with regards to illness may be influenced by distinct cultures. The aim of the present study was to explore illness representations of the part of Brazilians with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). A qualitative study was conducted involving 12 participants with mild and moderate AD using a semi-structured interview guide. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to guide the analysis of the participants’ accounts, resulting in themes that formed five categories. The biological category (six participants) emerged from a group that acknowledged their memory deficits. Two participants from this group mentioned memory deficits and labeled their condition as a disease without the use of diagnostic labels. Three participants from this category recognized memory deficits and related their difficulties to the aging process. The psychosocial category resulted from the accounts of two participants who acknowledged memory deficits and attributed such deficits to the erosion of memory function as well as troubles with day-to-day stress. A mixed category (one participant) included biological, psychosocial, and cultural aspects. The participant labeled the disease as “Zazá”, which was considered a cultural euphemism. Two additional categories were identified: one with two participants uncertain of how to make sense of their condition and the last one included one participant who was unaware of her condition. The present results show that illness representations of individuals with AD are influenced by emotional, social, and cultural contexts, and are also deeply embedded in individual coping mechanisms.