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Rural African American Clergy: An Exploration of Their Attitudes and Knowledge of Alzheimer's Disease |
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| Authors: | Kim L. Stansbury Gillian L. Marshall Debra A. Harley Nancy Nelson |
| Affiliation: | 1. School of Social Work , Eastern Washington University , Cheney, Washington, USA kim_stansbury@yahoo.com;3. School of Social Work , University of Washington , Seattle, Washington, USA;4. Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling , University of Kentucky , Lexington, Kentucky, USA;5. Africana Education Program and Departments of Africana Studies and Women's Studies , Eastern Washington University , Cheney, Washington, USA |
| Abstract: | Rural African American clergy's ability to recognize Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and their capacity to provide support to elders with this illness has been neglected in the literature. Using a mental health literacy framework, the purpose of this research was to explore rural African American clergy knowledge and beliefs of AD. In-depth interviews were conducted with 9 African American clergy who oversaw churches in central Kentucky. Although few had direct experience with providing pastoral care to elders with AD, all clergy were literate and aware of the need for additional training. This study seeks to further clarify the role of African American clergy and their understanding of AD to inform the future development of appropriate interventions and establish better collaborative community treatment relationships. |
| Keywords: | African American clergy rural Alzheimer's disease African American elders mental health literacy |