BREAKING THE BAD-NEWS - WHAT DO PSYCHIATRISTS TELL PATIENTS WITH DEMENTIA ABOUT THEIR ILLNESS

Consultants in old age psychiatry were sent a questionnaire concerning their practice in informing dementia patients and their carers about the diagnosis and prognosis. The results showed a wide variation in pr actice. Carers almost invariably were told of the diagnosis. Patients with severe dementia were almost never told. There was more of a tende ncy to tell moderately affected sufferers but for patients with mild d ementia practice was variable. There was a significant difference betw een all categories of dementia and the carer category for both diagnos is and prognosis giving. Informing patients of diagnosis differed from informing of prognosis only in the mild dementia category, with the t endency to give diagnosis more frequently than prognosis. Carers were also given diagnosis more frequently than prognosis. The article discu sses some of the issues involved in giving information on diagnosis an d prognosis to patients with dementia.