Researchers from UCL Psychology & Language Sciences have found that the effective use of talking therapies to treat depression in adults over 65 years of age may be linked to decreased rates of dementia.
According to the UCL-led Lancet Commission on dementia prevention, intervention, and care, around 40% of dementia cases could be associated with potentially modifiable risk factors.
Previous studies have indicated that older adults with depression are more likely to develop dementia subsequently.
The Study
The researchers examined data from 119,808 people over the age of 65 with significant levels of depression.
These individuals had accessed treatment via the national “Improving Access To Psychological Therapies” (IAPT) service between 2012 and 2019.
IAPT is a free NHS service that offers Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), counseling, and guided self-help.
The team linked the IAPT participants’ outcomes (depression scores) with their hospital records for dementia diagnosis.
They found that out of the 101,452 individuals who did not develop dementia at eight years, 65% (66,211) showed substantial improvements in their mental health (depression) following therapy.
In contrast, among the 4,617 individuals who developed dementia, 60.13% (2,776) showed reliable improvements in depression after therapy.
Hence, the group who developed dementia had slightly lower rates of reliable depression improvement.
The researchers also found that the more therapy sessions an older person attended, the lower the rates of dementia.
The team believes this could be due to the reduction in depressive symptoms because of longer engagement in the sessions.
Implications
The results of this study underline the potential role of psychological therapies such as CBT in reducing the risk of dementia among older adults with depression.
They provide further evidence supporting the importance of early and effective mental health interventions, especially in older populations.
The research, led by Dr. Amber John, was published in the journal Psychological Medicine.
It contributes to the expanding knowledge base that connects mental health conditions like depression with cognitive disorders such as dementia.
It also emphasizes the need for accessible and effective mental health services for older adults.
If you care about health, please read studies that scientists find a core feature of depression, and this metal in the brain is strongly linked to depression.
If you care about dementia, please read studies about low choline intake linked to higher dementia risk, and how eating nuts can affect your cognitive ability.
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