Older adults who are experiencing cognitive decline may have increased feelings of a lack of purpose in life, according to new research.
The new study, led by researchers at Florida State University, sought to answer the question of whether there are changes in purpose in life among older adults before and after the onset of cognitive decline. Findings of the study were published in JAMA Network Open.
For their analysis researchers used assessments of purpose of life and cognitive status from 22,668 participants in the Health and Retirement Study from March 2006 to May 2021 and from the 10,786 participants in the National Health and Aging Trends Study from May 2011 to November 2021.
The researchers found purpose in life decreased significantly in older adults prior to onset of cognitive impairment and declined significantly even more rapidly following onset of cognitive impairment.
“The largest decline in purpose in life occurred following onset of cognitive impairment,” the authors wrote. “This greater change may be due in part to the neurodegeneration that causes cognitive impairment. That is, decline in purpose may be an additional consequence of neurodegeneration in addition to deficits in cognition.”
The researchers suggested interventions that are designed to increase feelings of purpose and reduce apathy in older adults may help slow cognitive decline and the onset of dementia.
“Purpose can be increased through engagement in goal-directed activities among individuals with dementia,” researchers wrote. “Focused engagement in creative and social activities may also help to support purpose. Such approaches may have the dual utility of supporting well-being and reducing apathy and other behavioral symptoms that may contribute to faster progression of dementia.”
