Adversity has key impacts on cognitive health
- A study by Dr. SangNam Ahn, an associate professor at Saint Louis University, reveals the connection between childhood and adult adversity and their impact on psychiatric and cognitive decline.
Ahn said, “Life is very complicated, very dynamic. I wanted to highlight the importance of looking into the lasting health effects of adversity, not only in childhood but also in adulthood adversity, on health outcomes, especially physical health and psychiatric and cognitive health. There have been other studies before, but this is one of the first that looks into these issues comprehensively.”
Similarly, adult adversity-inducing events encompassed the loss of a spouse or child, exposure to natural disasters, conflicts, witnessing substance abuse within relationships, experiencing physical attacks, family members falling ill, reliance on government assistance, and facing unemployment. Initially, childhood adversity demonstrated a robust connection with cognitive decline. However, when education was factored in, this correlation disappeared.