People who experienced prolonged depressive episodes during their young adulthood stage are at a higher risk of suffering from memory problems in midlife, according to a recent study published in the American Academy of Neurology’s journal,
Grasset and colleagues enrolled 3117 people in the study. While 47% were Black, the other 53% identified as white. Their mean age was 30. Over a span of two decades, the researchers evaluated them for depressive systems every five years. This involved making each study participant complete questionnaires on whether or not they had a normal appetite, sleeping patterns, and/or issues related to being able to concentrate, along with any mood issues like feeling lonely, sad, or worthless.
“Having more depressive symptoms may be due to inequalities in socioeconomic resources such as housing and income, as well as access to health care and treatment. Racial inequalities should be accounted for when designing interventions to reduce a person’s risk of dementia,” Grasset added.