Racial Differences in Associations of Cognitive Health Status With Happiness, Helplessness, and Hopelessness Among Older Adults: An Exploratory Study

Emre Umucu; Beatrice Lee; Mary Wyman; Diane Carol Gooding; Carol Ann Van Hulle; Adrienne Johnson; Carola A Ferrer Simo; Fabu Carter; Hector Salazar; Taryn T James; Shenikqua Bouges; Nicholas H Lambrou; Sterling C Johnson; Sanjay Asthana; Carey E Gleason

doi:10.3389/fnagi.2022.890404

Racial Differences in Associations of Cognitive Health Status With Happiness, Helplessness, and Hopelessness Among Older Adults: An Exploratory Study

Front Aging Neurosci. 2022 May 11:14:890404. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.890404. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Emre Umucu¹, Beatrice Lee¹, Mary Wyman^{2

3

4}, Diane Carol Gooding⁵, Carol Ann Van Hulle^{3

4}, Adrienne Johnson⁶, Carola A Ferrer Simo^{4

7}, Fabu Carter⁴, Hector Salazar⁴, Taryn T James², Shenikqua Bouges², Nicholas H Lambrou², Sterling C Johnson^{4

7

8}, Sanjay Asthana^{2

4

7

8}, Carey E Gleason^{4

7

8}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology and Special Education, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States.
² W. S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, United States.
³ School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States.
⁴ Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States.
⁵ Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States.
⁶ Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, United States.
⁷ Division of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, The School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH), University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States.
⁸ Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, United States.

Abstract

Background: The relationship between healthy and positive aging and dementia and cognitive impairment has received limited attention in the field of aging. Affect impacts cognitive changes and processes, and cognitive impairment is associated with affective comorbidities. The purpose of the study was to examine (a) whether happiness, helplessness, and hopelessness are linked to cognitive health status, and (b) whether these associations differ by race.

Methods: Participants were enrollees in the Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center's Clinical Core (ADRC). Average age at baseline was 60.85 (SD = 8.65), 73.70 (SD = 8.02), and 73.80 (SD = 9.59) years for cognitively normal individuals, individuals with MCI, and individuals with dementia, respectively.

Results: In the full sample, chi-square test results revealed associations between Cognitive Health Status (CHS) and (a) happiness, χ²(2) = 6.06, p < 0.05, (b) helplessness, χ²(2) = 6.44, p < 0.05, and (c) hopelessness, χ²(2) = 14.11, p < 0.01.

Conclusion: This study provides support for the association of both positive and negative affect with cognitive health status in middle- to older-aged adults.

Keywords: MCI; dementia; happiness; helplessness; hopelessness; race.

Abstract

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