Hit television drama series ‘This is Us’ has got it’s audience talking after displaying a compelling narrative about Alzheimer’s disease.
According to new research led by the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, viewers of the drama thought that it helped to reduce some stigma that surrounds dementia.
Viewers also saw it as motivational, helping them to start family discussions on topics surrounding dementia.
The Pitt study is the first of its kind, as it will examine a television drama narrative about Alzheimer’s, using both survey and focus group results to determine its influence on viewers.
Results from the study suggest that entertainment narratives have the power to make a positive impact on those affected by Alzheimer’s.
It also highlights the importance of the partnerships between public health agencies and the entertainment industry to address health issues.
Lead author of the study, Beth Hoffman says: “Given that the average U.S. adult spends about 2,000 hours watching primetime television per year, but only an hour with a health care professional.
“It’s critical for clinicians and public health professionals to understand how television narratives impact health decisions.
“Our findings demonstrate that the entertainment industry need not shy away from complex topics.
“About 9 million U.S. adults have lived experience with Alzheimer’s disease and caregiving, and our work found that the storyline on ‘This Is Us’ helped them feel seen.”
‘This is Us’ follows the lives of a fictional family, the Pearson’s, with the primary focus on the mother, Rebecca and her triplets, Kate, Kevin and Randall.
In the fourth season, Rebecca experiences memory decline, which is diagnosed as mild cognitive impairment likely due to Alzheimer’s disease.
Randall and Kevin become torn over Randall’s insistence that Rebecca moves across the country to participate in a clinical trial for Alzheimer’s disease.
The narrative for the series was developed alongside Hollywood, Health and Society, which is a free resource programme for the entertainment industry, providing fact based information for TV storylines on health, safety and security.
The ‘This is Us’ writers me with the society regularly over the course of three seasons to help them ensure the topic was portrayed accurately and authentically.
This included the writers’ room briefings, script reviews and conversations between Mandy More, who plays Rebecca and Alzheimer’s disease experts.
Kate Langrall Folb, director of Hollywood, Health and Society says: “We were honored to work with ‘This Is Us’ to inform this storyline and many others throughout the show’s six-year run.
“We know from decades of research that viewers learn from what they see on TV.
“That’s why it’s so essential for shows to accurately portray the complexities of living with and caring for those affected by diseases like Alzheimer’s.”
Following the finale of season four, Hoffman and her research team administered an online survey to more than 700 viewers, before conducting follow-up focus groups with a dozen of those participants.
The ‘mixed methods’ approach, which was guided by Jessica Burke, allows scientists to better understand the numerical data gained from broad surveys through follow-up discussions.
Responses from the survey display how strongly viewers identified with both Kevin and Randall.
This indicates that they could see both sides of different positions on treatment and care of someone with Alzheimer’s disease.
Respondents also showed high levels of support for medical research, whilst also expressing the desire to respect the decision of the affected family member on whether to participate in a clinical trial.
Over 43 per cent of the respondents had a friend or close relative that had been diagnosed with either dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
The discussions between the focus group furthered these discoveries.
An example of this is viewers emphasising with Randall’s belief of clinical trial would save Rebecca’s life, whilst they also recognised this as being overly optimistic, meaning they ultimately support Kevin’s desire not to override their mother’s decision on participation.
The focus group also came to the conclusion that the disagreements between Kevin and Randall over their mothers health, would encourage viewers to have family discussions about advanced care planning.
Dan Fogelman, creator, showrunner and writer of ‘This is Us’ says: “Obviously it is rewarding to hear that our show has had a positive influence on perception and understanding of Alzheimer’s disease.
“Our incredible writers took great care to get the details right here, as multiple members of our staff had been directly touched by the disease.
“I’d be remiss if I didn’t add that we couldn’t have attacked the storyline without help from Hollywood, Health & Society, a guiding force with any medical-based research we needed.”