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A decline in psychological well-being, particularly in areas like purpose in life and personal growth, in old age may precede the development of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) — a common precursor to dementia, according to new research.
The study, published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, indicates that these aspects of well-being start deteriorating two to six years before an MCI diagnosis, even when no cognitive symptoms are evident, and this decline occurs regardless of whether the individual later develops dementia.
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While much research has linked psychological well-being to brain ageing and dementia, it often focuses primarily on a sense of purpose, leaving out other important components such as self-acceptance, autonomy, environmental mastery, and meaningful relationships.
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The study aimed to address these gaps by analysing changes in psychological well-being in 910 cognitively intact older adults.
The long-term study, which began in 1997, includes older adults from diverse living situations in the US. Participants underwent annual check-ups, including cognitive assessments and evaluations of psychological well-being.
Over an average monitoring period of 14 years, 265 participants (29 per cent) developed MCI, with 89 of them (34 per cent) progressing to dementia.
The study found that individuals who developed MCI were more likely to experience a significant decline in psychological well-being, particularly in purpose in life and personal growth, which began to diminish three to six years before the MCI diagnosis.
The research also found that while psychological well-being declined at a similar rate before and after the MCI diagnosis, meaningful connections with others deteriorated more rapidly after the diagnosis.
These findings suggest that a reduction in psychological well-being, even in the absence of cognitive impairment, could be a predictor of future dementing disorders. The study emphasises the importance of psychological support for older adults to potentially mitigate these risks.
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