Childhood Loneliness Linked to Dementia Risk
Parents who worry because their child struggles to make friends, has difficulties with communication, or seems overly inclined to solitude have reason for concern—not only because of early-life isolation.
A group of doctors based in Australia, China, and the United States found evidence that the consequences of loneliness in early childhood are not limited to that period but may show their most severe effects long after the parents have passed away.
“Childhood loneliness was associated with faster cognitive decline and an increased risk of dementia in midlife and later adulthood,” the researchers stated in a study published by the American Medical Association.
Even if a lonely child grows up to become a social and outgoing adult, they are still more likely to face cognitive problems later in life compared to those who did not experience loneliness in childhood, the study authors added—reports N1.
The findings are based on a “cohort study” conducted using data from about 13,500 participants collected between 2011 and 2018 from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study.
“Given the current lack of effective treatments to slow the progression of dementia, identifying early, modifiable risk factors for cognitive decline and dementia is crucial for developing preventive strategies to mitigate this growing disease burden,” the team noted, calling for interventions early in life to reduce risks decades later.
“These findings suggest that childhood loneliness may serve as an independent risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia in later adulthood,” the researchers from Capital Medical University in Beijing, La Trobe University in Melbourne, Boston University School of Public Health, Harvard Medical School, Edith Cowan University, and Zhejiang University concluded.
