In a new study from the University of Michigan, researchers found investing in good mental health care for young people—including evidence-based interventions for mental health problems—could help reduce the burden of neurodegenerative disease.
They examined 1.7 million New Zealanders—aged 21 to 60 years at baseline—followed across three decades (1988 to 2018) to test whether people with mental disorders are at increased risk for subsequent dementia.
The team found mental disorders were more strongly associated with dementia than chronic physical diseases.
Pre-existing chronic physical illness or socioeconomic deprivation did not explain the association between mental disorders and dementia.
The connection between mental health problems and dementia was seen for both men and women, for both early-onset and later-onset dementias, for different types of mental health conditions, and for both Alzheimer’s and non-Alzheimer’s dementias.
The team says mental disorders are salient early-warning signs for subsequent dementia.
People with mental disorders could be encouraged to engage in health behaviors to reduce dementia risk—for instance, to increase their physical activity, which so far is one promising way to potentially help prevent dementia.
The mechanism for the association is not clear, but could involve several factors.
For instance, a lifelong brain vulnerability may manifest itself as mental health problems earlier in life and dementia later in life. Or medication for mental disorders (such as antipsychotics) might increase the risk for dementia.
The researchers caution that most people with mental-health problems will not develop dementia.
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The study is published in JAMA Psychiatry and was conducted by Leah Richmond-Rakerd et al.
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