In the study, researchers analyzed health data from 5,811 adults aged between 45 and 69, and asked them questions about their mental health that included 30 common symptoms of depression.
During a 23-year follow-up period, 586 people developed dementia.
The research team found that people who exhibited five or more of six warning signs were more likely to develop dementia. These signs include:
Anxiety and tension worsened.
Difficulty concentrating.
Loss of the ability to cope with problems.
Lack of warmth and affection towards others.
Loss of self-confidence.
Dissatisfaction with the performance of daily tasks.
The researchers explained that recognizing these symptoms could enable doctors to identify people at risk of developing dementia years before the appearance of traditional symptoms such as memory loss and mental confusion.
The results showed that a lack of self-confidence increases the risk by 51%, while an inability to cope with problems increases it by 49%, a feeling of lack of warmth and affection by 44%, and stress and anxiety by 34%. Dissatisfaction with daily tasks also increases the risk by 33%, and difficulty concentrating by 29%.
Dr. Philip Frank, a researcher at University College London and the lead author of the study, said: "The findings suggest that the risk of developing dementia is linked to a specific set of depressive symptoms, rather than depression in general. Monitoring these symptoms gives us a clearer picture of who is most at risk decades before the disease develops."
Dr. Richard Oakley, associate director of research and innovation at the Alzheimer's Association, notes that "the relationship between dementia and depression is complex, but this study helps to understand how they are linked and opens the door to early prevention."
The study was published in the journal "The Lancet Psychiatry".
