title: Barriers to the construction of a valued social identity: a case study of Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: This case study describes a person with mild-to-moderate stage Alzheimer's disease (AD) and examines the relationship between malignant positioning and the ability of a person with AD to gain the cooperation of healthy persons to construct a valued social identity. Findings reveal that malignant positioning limited the person with AD to the embarrassing social identity of dysfunctional patient; whereas, the absence of such positioning allowed the subject to gain the cooperation from others necessary to construct a valued social identity, as well as reduce embarrassment and experience greater sense of self-worth. Preliminary recommendations on reducing malignant positioning are provided. Further research is required to elucidate the degree to which the present findings may be generalized.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA.
authors.forename: Steven R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Sabat
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Napolitano
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fath
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000628:therapy*; D003144:Communication Barriers; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D011593:Psychology, Social / Q000379:methods*; D012649:Self Concept; D012933:Social Identification