Discounting Dementia (University of Bologna)

 The case study consists in a series of semi-structured interviews, audio-recorded, transcribed, and analysed thematically. Participants are people with dementia living at home or in residential care facilities. The purpose of the interviews is to investigate the presence of epistemic injustice and the effect it has on the daily lives and well-being of participants with a focus on the relationships with healthcare professionals and caregivers. We aim to have a better understanding of how epistemic injustice affects older adults with a dementia diagnosis and develop recommendations for improving social inclusion and care.

Team

• Data collection and analysis: Dr Lara Calabrese (University of Bologna). 
• EPIC Project investigator: Professor Lisa Bortolotti (University of Birmingham and University of Ferrara)
• EPIC Project Partners: Professor Rabih Chattat, Department of Psychology, University of Bologna; Dr Elisabetta Lalumera, Department for Life Quality Studies, University of Bologna.

Recruitment

Older adults with dementia diagnosis (moderate cognitive decline). Recruited from Residential Home L’Aquilone (Savignano), Alzheimer Association (Imola), and Cognitive Disorders and Dementia Center of Local Health Authority (Bologna). Special thanks to Stefania Martinelli (L'Aquilone) and Elisa Ferriani (AUSL Bologna) for their assistance with recruitment.

Relevant publications

• Brigiano, M., et al. (2025). Within My Walls, I Escape Being Underestimated: A Systematic Review and Thematic Synthesis of Stigma and Help-Seeking in Dementia. Behavioral sciences, 15(6), 774. 
• Chattat, R., Trolese, S., Chirico, I. (2025). Promoting Good Living and Social Health in Dementia. In: Bortolotti, L. (eds) Epistemic Justice in Mental Healthcare. Palgrave Macmillan.
• Lalumera, E. (2025). Ameliorating Epistemic Injustice with Digital Health Technologies. In: Bortolotti, L. (eds) Epistemic Justice in Mental Healthcare. Palgrave Macmillan.

Presentations

• Lara Calabrese,  "The Right To Be Heard: Exploring Epistemic Injustice In Dementia Care. A Qualitative Study".  A poster presentation of case study,  37th Global Conference of Alzheimer's Disease International, April 2026.  https://adiconference.org/. 
• Lara Calabrese,  "Exploring epistemic injustice in dementia care: a scoping review and a qualitative study". Philosophy of Psychiatry Work-in-Progress Workshop, University of Lancaster
• Lara Calabrese, Unheard and unbelieved: exploring epistemic injustice in people living with dementia through qualitative research. Alzheimer Europe, Bologna, 6th October 2025.
• Elisabetta Lalumera and Lara Calabrese, Epistemic Injustice in Mental Healthcare symposium, International Network for Philosophy and Psychiatry Conference, University of Leipzig, Germany, 29th-31st May 2025.
• Rabih Chattat and Elisabetta Lalumera, Philosophy and Mental Health, Philosophy Matters webinar, 26th March 2025. 

Scoping Review

 Calabrese, L., Brigiano, M., Quartarone, M., Chirico, I., Trolese, S., Lambiase, F., Forte, L., Annini, A., Bortolotti, L., & Chattat, R. (2025). I'm still here and my opinion matters: a scoping review on the experience of epistemic injustice among people living with dementia. 

Current psychology 45(1), s12144-025-08519-y.