abstract: The issue of how to assess the degree of insight possessed by people suffering from dementia is a key one for clinicians, carers and researchers. In this thought-provoking paper, 32 subjects with mild to moderate dementia were recruited from attenders at two day hospitals. Subjects and their carers completed range of assessment tools, and then took part in semi-structured interviews. Themes identified in the interviews included frustration, distress and anger, discontent, unconcern, a normalizing response, worry and anxiety, defensiveness, explicit denial, and priority given to other problems. The researchers conclude that insight is a complex, multi-dimensional and value-laden concept.