Abstract
Understanding what Masters of Social Work students know about dementia is valuable in the process of preparing young professionals. The purpose of this study was to explore what students know about dementia in relationship to demographic variables, including years of experience, ethnicity, and gender. As a quantitative exploratory study, a sample of 22 persons participated in a survey design, answering Likert-scale statements about beliefs around dementia etiology, treatments, and the affect ethnicity has on their beliefs about dementia. Non-probability convenience sampling was used. Participants reported various beliefs about dementia. The study found that years of experience, using Fisher’s exact-test, had a significant relationship to the belief that ethnicity affects interactions with others. Other demographic variables showed trend-level data to knowledge of dementia variables. Implications for social work policy and practice are discussed.