Overview

• Published today in Aging & Mental Health, the study tracked 10,760 adults aged 50 and above from 2002, evaluating psychological health and memory every two years over 16 years.
• Higher self-rated wellbeing—measured by pleasure, autonomy and life satisfaction—was linked to better performance on immediate and delayed word-recall tests.
• Researchers found this link to be independent of depressive symptoms, strengthening the case for a direct association between mental wellbeing and memory retention.
• Lead author Dr. Amber John suggests good psychological health appears to precede improved cognitive function, pointing to interventions such as mindfulness to maintain mental sharpness.
• Funded by Alzheimer’s Research UK and the Medical Research Council, the paper highlights low wellbeing as a potential early warning sign of cognitive impairment and increased dementia risk.