Researchers from the US, UK, and Spain tracked more than 10,000 people over the age of 50.
Higher levels of well-being may help lower the risk of memory loss in middle age, according to new research that followed more than 10,000 adults over the age of 50 for 16 years.
The findings, published in the peer-reviewed journal Aging & Mental Health, showed that people who reported higher well-being were more likely to achieve better scores on memory tests over time.
These individuals, all of whom were identified as having healthy brain function, also reported a stronger sense of control, independence, and the freedom to make choices.
The researchers found a small but meaningful link between psychological well-being and memory performance. This association held even after accounting for depressive symptoms.
However, the team of 15 experts from the UK, US, and Spain found no evidence that better memory predicted later improvements in well-being, though they note this possibility cannot be ruled out.
Psychological well-being and brain health
The researchers note that the findings highlight the impact of psychological and social factors on brain health, suggesting that well-being may help protect against cognitive decline. They add that interventions aimed at improving psychological well-being, such as mindfulness, could help preserve mental functions like memory as people grow older.
“In the context of an ageing population, understanding factors that may protect and maintain healthy cognitive function is critical for enhanced population health and health policy development,” explains lead author Dr Amber John, a Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Liverpool and a current Alzheimer’s Research UK Fellow, who specializes in research on ageing, with a specific focus on mental health, neurodivergence, and dementia.
“While, in this research, we can’t examine and understand the relationship between causes and effects, determining if one event leads to another (causality), our findings are important in proposing that good well-being predates better memory rather than vice versa. This suggests that the link between well-being and memory is not just because people with poor memory have poor well-being, and that, if causality is demonstrated, improving well-being could protect against subsequent memory decline.”
Co-author Joshua Stott, a Professor of Ageing and Clinical Psychology at UCL, adds: “This study represents an important step toward understanding the interplay between well-being and memory over time. It offers new insights into how self-rated well-being is associated with memory and vice versa.
“While our findings are preliminary, they highlight the importance of considering psychosocial influences on brain health such as memory.”
Depression and anxiety are widely recognized as risk factors in faster decline of brain health and dementia. A key global healthcare priority is now to prevent dementia.
What is well-being and why it matters
Well-being is defined as emotional health combined with the ability to function effectively. It includes elements such as happiness, confidence, a sense of purpose, and feeling in control of one’s life.
Previous studies have suggested a positive relationship between well-being and slower age-related decline in mental functions, including mild cognitive impairment. Memory, in particular, is considered a core component of mental functioning.
However, most of this research has explored the connection between well-being and memory in only one direction. The goal of the current study was to gain longer-term insights into how well-being and memory are related in people who have not yet experienced significant cognitive decline.
Data was based on 10,760 men and women who took part in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing Self-reported. This existing long-term research project involves UK adults over the age of 50 and includes attitudes to well-being.
Participants were assessed on well-being and memory every two years – a total of nine times during the 16-year study period stretching back to 2002.
Researchers used a learning task to check participants’ ability to recall ten words immediately and after a delay. Well-being was assessed using a quality-of-life questionnaire. Participants scored themselves based on satisfaction of specific needs – pleasure, control, autonomy, and self-realization. Questions included ‘I can do the things that I want to do’, and ‘I feel that life is full of opportunities’.
The authors excluded anyone with a dementia diagnosis at the start of the study.
Higher well-being linked with better memory
Results showed a small but significant association between higher well-being and better memory. In addition, the study found that the impact of well-being on memory was significant even after adjusting for depression. The authors say this suggests links between well-being and memory exist independent from depressive symptoms.
Biological factors such as cardiovascular disease and those linked to lifestyle – such as physical activities – are among possible reasons for the effect of well-being on memory, say the authors. Age, gender, lifestyle, and socioeconomic status may also have a negative or positive impact on the relationship between well-being and memory function.
Despite the lack of evidence for memory affecting well-being, the authors say this cannot be ruled out. They say lower psychological well-being may be a sign of ‘oncoming cognitive impairment’ before symptoms become apparent.
The research was funded by Alzheimer’s Research UK; Medical Research Council (a part of UKRI); National Institute on Aging; and National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
Emma Taylor, Information Services Manager at Alzheimer’s Research UK, comments: “Loving your heart, staying sharp and keeping connected are key to protecting our brain health as we age.
“There are 14 established health and lifestyle risk factors for dementia, including lack of physical exercise, social isolation, and depression, which are linked to well-being.
“This study found that people over 50 who reported they felt happier and more fulfilled in life had a better memory over time. However, this research is observational – and more work is needed to understand how a positive well-being and memory are connected and whether this has a knock-on effect on dementia risk.
“Looking after our mental well-being plays an important part in our overall health. And it’s never too late to start taking steps to keep our brains healthy throughout our lives and lessen the devastating impact of dementia.”
Methodology and concluding thoughts
As with all long-running longitudinal studies, one limitation of this paper is sample attrition over the follow-up period. However, the team used a research methodology which enabled use of use of all available information in the observed data, without imputation or discarding cases.
To conclude, the authors say their results could provide the basis for further research into what factors can enhance brain health in aging populations.
Co-author Dr Emily Willroth, an Assistant Professor of Psychological & Brain Sciences at Washington University, in St Louis, Missouri, adds: “Going forwards it would be fantastic if this research can build on the foundations of ongoing memory research to potentially inform strategies supporting cognitive health in ageing populations – that is the aim.”
Reference: “Wellbeing and memory function: testing bidirectional associations in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA)” by Amber John, Roopal Desai, Aphrodite Eshetu, Emily Willroth, Natalie Marchant, Barbara Woodward-Carlton, Dorina Cadar, Jiamin Yin, David Bartres-Faz, Rob Saunders, Georgia Bell, Aida Suarez Gonzalez, Darya Gaysina, Marcus Richards and Joshua Stott, 18 June 2025, Aging & Mental Health.
DOI: 10.1080/13607863.2025.2468408
This study was supported by an Alzheimer’s Research UK (ARUK) Research Fellowship (Award number: ARUK-RF2021B-007); and Medical Research Council grants [MC_UU_00019/1 and MC_ UU_00019/3]. ELSA is funded by the National Institute on Aging [R01AG017644], and by UK government departments coordinated by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
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