Having a Purpose in Life Can Reduce the Risk of Dementia, New Research Finds

Having a Purpose in Life Can Reduce the Risk of Dementia, New Research Finds Having a sense of purpose in life isn’t just personally fulfilling or rewarding. It turns out that it can also reduce the risk of dementia, according to research recently published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. Conducted by researchers at the University of California Davis, the new study followed nearly 14,000 adults aged 45 […] READ: Having a Purpose in Life Can Reduce the Risk of Dementia, New Research Finds

Art Oct 15, 2025 0 12 Add to Reading List

Having a Purpose in Life Can Reduce the Risk of Dementia, New Research Finds

Three seniors playing chess together in a living room.

Photo: Vitaly Gariev via Unsplash

Having a sense of purpose in life isn’t just personally fulfilling or rewarding. It turns out that it can also reduce the risk of dementia, according to research recently published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

Conducted by researchers at the University of California Davis, the new study followed nearly 14,000 adults aged 45 and older for up to 15 years. The group all possessed normal cognitive functioning at the beginning of the survey, initiated in 2006 and concluded in 2020 as part of the Health and Retirement study led by the University of Michigan. The team ultimately found that participants who reported a greater sense of purpose were about 28% less likely to develop cognitive impairment, including dementia, across genders as well as racial and ethnic groups. Even after accounting for education, depression, and the APOE4 gene, which is a known risk factor for Alzheimer’s, the protective effect remained significant, per the study.

“Our findings show that having a sense of purpose helps the brain stay resilient with age,” Aliza Wingo, senior author and professor in the UC Davis Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, says in a statement. “Even for people with a genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease, sense of purpose was linked to a later onset and lower likelihood of developing dementia.”

Researchers also discovered that those with higher purpose tended to experience cognitive decline later in life than those with lower purpose. On average, the delay in onset was modest—about 1.4 months over an eight-year period—but, even then, the statistic offers a glimmer of hope when other treatments are still being developed.

“While medications can modestly delay symptoms of cognitive impairment in Alzheimer’s disease, they come with risks and costs,” Nicholas C. Howard, first author and public health researcher at UC Davis, adds. “Purpose in life is free, safe, and accessible. It’s something people can build through relationships, goals, and meaningful activities.”

Though the study’s participants weren’t specifically asked about what activities they believed gave their life purpose, the researchers outlined a few possibilities, such as mentoring and volunteering, spiritual practices, pursuing hobbies, learning new skills, caregiving, and advocacy work. As a hint to their significance, the researchers summed up such activities with the Japanese term ikigai, meaning “that which brings value and joy to life.”

The study echoes other recent findings that similarly assert the value of “free,” yet preventative, measures. Earlier this year, for example, a trial found that consistent exercise can reduce the risk of cancer patients dying by a third. Another study asserted that watching Studio Ghibli movies had a positive impact on the mental health of postdoctoral students. Even something as simple as attending arts and culture events can improve overall wellbeing.

“What’s exciting about this study is that people may be able to ‘think’ themselves into better health. Purpose in life is something we can nurture,” Thomas Wingo, a co-author of the study and a professor and neurologist at UC Davis Health, concludes. “It’s never too early—or too late—to start thinking about what gives your life meaning.”