Study finds loneliness is linked to poorer memory in older adults, but not faster decline

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 12:17:00 +0200

A large European study suggests that loneliness is associated with weaker memory in older adults, but it does not appear to accelerate memory decline over time. Researchers analyzed data from more than 10,000 adults ages 65 to 94 across 12 European countries as part of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). At the beginning of the study, participants who reported high loneliness scored lower on both immediate and delayed memory tests than those who felt less lonely. However, when researchers followed the group for seven years, memory declined at roughly the same rate in all loneliness groups.

The study, published in Aging & Mental Health, challenges the idea that loneliness directly speeds up cognitive decline or dementia. Instead, it suggests loneliness may affect a person’s baseline cognitive performance, meaning lonely older adults may start out with poorer memory but not necessarily worsen faster. The researchers accounted for other factors that can influen