Psychological Well-Being Declines Years Before Diagnosis of MCI

TUESDAY, Aug. 20, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Psychological well-being can significantly decline years before a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), regardless of the ultimate development of dementia, according to a study published online Aug. 13 in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.

Jie Guo, from China Agricultural University in Beijing, and colleagues explored psychological well-being trajectories before and after the diagnosis of MCI and dementia. The analysis included 910 cognitively intact older adults participating in the Rush Memory and Aging Project, with annual follow-up for up to 14 years.

The researchers found that compared with participants who remained cognitively intact, those who developed incident MCI had a faster decline in psychological well-being (β, −0.015), with lower well-being two years before MCI diagnosis. Among those who developed MCI, lower levels of purpose in life and personal growth were detected three years (−0.126) and six years (−0.139) before MCI, respectively. Except for positive relations with others, the slope of psychological well-being decline was similar before and after MCI diagnosis for other components. Well-being trajectories were similar for MCI regardless of whether individuals later developed dementia.

“Reduced psychological well-being, even in the absence of evident cognitive impairment, may serve as a predictor for impaired cognitive function, and postdiagnostic psychological support should be planned for people diagnosed with dementing disorders,” the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text