Factors that influence the emotional impact of memory problems in older adults: A qualitative descriptive study.
Nikki L Hill, Emily Bratlee-Whitaker, Rachel K Wion and 3 others
PMID 35490354WHAT IT FOUND
Older adults without dementia who reported memory problems described frustration, embarrassment, worry and fear of dementia.
Anxiety symptoms, not cognitive test scores, appeared to shape these responses. Assess memory complaints alongside mood.
Key findings
01Every participant reported at least one negative emotion linked to memory problems, with frustration and worry most common.
02Participants with higher anxiety symptoms described more severe fear of future decline, and comments about self-doubt were mostly among this group.
03Forgetting something important or affecting another person intensified negative feelings; participants also described optimism, comparing to others, planning ahead and acceptance.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The sample was recruited from rural and suburban Pennsylvania and was not representative of all older adults, particularly given high educational attainment. Race and ethnicity were not collected, so the findings may not reflect experiences of racially or ethnically diverse older adults. The MoCA is a screening tool and did not replace neuropsychological testing, so subtle cognitive deficits may have been missed. The community-based sample may have limited the range of affective symptoms and cognitive impairment represented. Because this was a qualitative descriptive study, it describes experiences and themes; it cannot show that memory problems cause emotional outcomes or that any intervention works.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as proof that memory problems cause anxiety or depression. The study is qualitative and descriptive; it reports how older adults talked about their experiences, not a tested effect.