Critical need for mental health management in older adults

After reviewing this study, Shannel Kassis Elhelou, PsyD, geropsychology and neuropsychology fellow at Pacific Neuroscience Institute’s Brain Wellness and Lifestyle Programs in Santa Monica, CA told MNT that this research validates the profound link between mental and physical health.

“The association between chronic anxiety and increased dementia risk highlights the critical need for comprehensive mental health management in older patients,” Elhelou continued. “It underscores the importance of early detection and intervention for anxiety to potentially mitigate the long-term risk of developing dementia.”

“These findings provide a compelling argument for addressing anxiety proactively in older adults. Some providers may now better understand the impact of anxiety on dementia risk and be encouraged to screen for anxiety and refer patients to mental health professionals who specialize in older adults, anxiety, and neurodegenerative diseases. This collaborative approach ensures patients receive comprehensive and specialized care.”
— Shannel Kassis Elhelou, PsyD

Elhelou said that future research should focus on understanding the mechanisms by which anxiety contributes to dementia risk.

“Additionally, investigating effective interventions for anxiety that could also reduce dementia risk would be invaluable,” she added. “From a preventative perspective, it would be beneficial to explore the role of anxiety treatment in younger populations and its long-term effects on cognitive health.”

Contributing anxiety factors need to be analyzed

MNT also spoke with Karen D. Sullivan, PhD, ABPP, a board-certified neuropsychologist, owner of I CARE FOR YOUR BRAIN, and Reid Healthcare Transformation Fellow at FirstHealth of the Carolinas in Pinehurst, NC, about this study.

“My first reaction was that perhaps they had their chicken and egg in reverse order,” Sullivan commented. “That is, maybe the anxiety they were measuring at Time 1 was, in fact, the earliest manifestation of an early dementia. The authors address this by stating that the dose-response curve they found between baseline, untreated anxiety, and dementia risk suggests that anxiety is a causal factor.”

“It speaks to the need for more intensive assessment and interventions of mental health symptoms in older adults, particularly anxiety. This study provides hope that we have identified yet another modifiable risk factor for the development of the dementias.”
— Karen D. Sullivan, PhD, ABPP

When asked what she would like to see in the next steps of this research, Sullivan said that researchers need to tease apart other possible contributing factors that often go along with untreated anxiety like disrupted sleep due to ruminative worry, poor diet, and sedentary lifestyle.

“We need a factor analysis in a larger sample to ensure we can isolate the syndrome of anxiety as the cause of increased dementia risk,” she explained.

“It would also be important to co-factor out the different domains of anxiety. Different people experience anxiety differently. For some, anxiety is experienced as thought perseveration, and for others, it is stomachaches and headaches, and for others still, anxiety is felt as overwhelmed and brain fog. A deeper understanding of what specific aspects of anxiety (are) at play here would be very helpful,” Sullivan said.