When do patients with Parkinson disease disclose their diagnosis?
The authors surveyed 101 patients with Parkinson disease (PD) about their experiences disclosing the diagnosis. Ninety percent disclosed early to family; more than 25% waited at least 1 year to disclose at work. The main concerns about disclosure were fear of reflecting negatively on themselves and fear of upsetting others. Patients who delayed disclosure were more likely male, younger, and employed. There is considerable variability among patients with PD in the time to disclose their diagnosis.
Haines
S
S
Department of Neurology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
Chen
H
H
Anderson
K E
KE
Fishman
P S
PS
Shulman
L M
LM
Weiner
W J
WJ
Reich
S G
SG
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003625:Data Collection; D030881:Disclosure; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000523:psychology*