Overview

• Researchers tracked 10,760 UK adults over 50 from 2002 to 2018, assessing wellbeing and memory in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing every two years.
• Those reporting higher wellbeing scored significantly better on word-recall tests over time, even after adjusting for depression and socioeconomic factors.
• Analysis found no evidence that stronger memory predicted later improvements in wellbeing, suggesting a directional effect from psychosocial health to cognitive function.
• Lead authors from University College London, Washington University in St. Louis, and University of Liverpool describe the findings as preliminary and call for further studies to establish causality.
• Funded by Alzheimer’s Research UK among others, the study offers a basis for developing interventions aimed at enhancing wellbeing to support brain health in aging populations.