Dementia-Related Anxiety in Older Adults
Summary
Dementia-related anxiety, often termed dementia worry, encompasses the persistent fear or concern about developing Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias. In older adults, this anxiety can manifest as heightened vigilance towards memory lapses, increased health‐related stress and avoidance of activities perceived as cognitively demanding. Such fears may undermine quality of life by fostering social withdrawal, depressive symptoms and reluctance to seek early assessment or engage in protective behaviours. Conversely, recognising and addressing these anxieties through targeted interventions can promote adaptive coping, encourage participation in cognitive and social activities, and support healthy ageing. Understanding the interplay between individual perceptions, cultural context and age‐related changes is essential for designing effective psychological and behavioural strategies to mitigate dementia-related anxiety and its broader health implications.
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Dementia-Related Anxiety in Older Adults publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in dementia-related anxiety in older adults across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Dementia-Related Anxiety (Dementia Worry): Persistent fear or concern about developing dementia that can affect thoughts, emotions and behaviour.
Avoidant Coping: Behavioural strategies aimed at evading situations or thoughts that trigger anxiety, often leading to social withdrawal.
Subjective Cognitive Decline: Self-perceived decline in cognitive abilities, such as memory or attention, not necessarily corroborated by objective testing.
Behavioural Activation: Therapeutic approach that encourages engagement in meaningful or rewarding activities to counteract avoidance and improve mood.
References
- Reducing fear and avoidance of memory loss improves mood and social engagement in community-based older adults: a randomized trial. BMC Geriatrics (2023).
- Dementia is the second most feared condition among Australian health service consumers: results of a cross-sectional survey. BMC Public Health (2023).
- How Are Sociodemographic, Health, Psychological, and Cognitive Factors Associated with Dementia Worry? An Online Survey Study among Israeli and Australian Laypeople. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2022).
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