Maintaining a sense of purpose in later life may protect against dementia

A study published in the October 2025 issue of The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry suggests that living with a sense of purpose is tied to a reduced risk for cognitive problems.

Researchers identified 13,765 people, ages 45 and older, with no cognitive issues and followed them for up to 15 years. At the start, everyone completed a questionnaire about their psychological well-being. From each person’s responses, the researchers calculated a sense-of-purpose score, ranging from 1 to 6, with higher numbers indicating a stronger sense of purpose. Telephone-based tests, conducted every two years, assessed the participants’ cognitive health.

At the study’s end, the people with the highest sense-of-purpose scores at the start were about 28% less likely to have developed mild cognitive impairment or dementia than those with the lowest scores.

Participants weren’t asked what gave their life purpose. However, other studies have found that older adults with a strong sense of purpose exhibit many similar behaviors, such as maintaining good relationships with family and friends, continuing to work or volunteer, engaging in religious or spiritual practices, and pursuing personal goals such as learning new hobbies and skills.

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