Early adulthood can be a strange time in many of our lives. Some people spend those years studying, others start working, others get married and start having children. Regardless of what path we take, it’s not always an easy time.
A lot of people develop depression during early adulthood. They feel apathetic, hopeless, and sadness. They lose interest in hobbies and activities they previously enjoyed. They may be more irritable or agitated. They may struggle with appetite and sleep. And, in some cases, they struggle with suicidal thoughts.
Depression can impact our lives in a lot of ways. It’s not uncommon for people to drop out of college, for example. It can also affect our relationships with the people that surround us. But depression can also have long-term effects. Existing research suggests a connection between depression in early adulthood and lower cognitive health later in life. But what does this mean, exactly?
Memory Loss
There’s a possibility that persisting depression across the years may lead to memory loss in later life. Constant high levels of stress may damage our ability to make new memories, and people with depression tend to generate more cortisol, a stress hormone, than the average person. Consistently higher cortisol levels than average can damage a part of the brain that is vital for memory and other cognitive functions: the hippocampus.
What this means, in the long run, is that people with depression may end up developing other illnesses later in life. One of these is related to memory loss and ageing: dementia.
Dementia
It seems that depression in early adulthood may lead to a higher risk of developing dementia in later years. The same study that found a link between severe depression symptoms and low cognitive functioning also documented a considerable number of participants who took dementia medication or were hospitalized with dementia, either as a primary or secondary diagnosis.
It is, of course, not a guarantee. Dementia is a complicated illness and there are many factors behind it. But these findings strongly suggest that depression in early adulthood might also play a role in its development. But these were not the only findings from that study.
Faster Decline of Cognitive Health
Cognitive health declines with age. That’s a normal part of aging. But persistent and moderate or severe depression were linked to a faster decline in overall cognitive health. If depression already leads to a cognitive decline within ten years, then a more severe decline in cognitive functions by our older years is to be expected.
While it is true that both global cognitive health and memory functions were concerned, that doesn’t mean all our cognitive functions decline to upsettingly low levels. Verbal fluency and information processing speed do not seem to be affected by depression in early adulthood. Memory loss and dementia are scary in their own right, but knowing some cognitive functions are not negatively affected by depression is good news.
Facing Depression
These findings are not to be taken lightly, but it’s also important to remember that it’s not a causal link. It’s a correlation, and while depression may be linked to dementia in older years, that doesn’t mean we’re guaranteed to develop it. Still, it’s important information to keep in mind.
Untreated depression can lead to lasting impairment. Even if we disregard the long-term effects of depression on our cognitive functions, untreated depression can be incredibly impactful. Thus, treating depression is essential to improving quality of life and overall well-being.
Seeking professional help is a courageous and important step to experiencing improvements in depression. So, if you struggle with depression, don’t hesitate to reach out. It’s possible to get better.
Reach out to us to learn more about depression treatment and how it can help you now and in the future.
