Frontiers in Psychology (Jul 2024)

Worry and ruminative brooding: associations with cognitive and physical health in older adults

  • Rachel M. Morse,
  • Freya Koutsoubelis,
  • Tim Whitfield,
  • Harriet Demnitz-King,
  • Valentin Ourry,
  • Valentin Ourry,
  • Josh Stott,
  • Anne Chocat,
  • Eglantine Ferrand Devouge,
  • Eglantine Ferrand Devouge,
  • Eglantine Ferrand Devouge,
  • Zuzana Walker,
  • Zuzana Walker,
  • Olga Klimecki,
  • Fabienne Collette,
  • Gael Chetelat,
  • Julie Gonneaud,
  • Geraldine Poisnel,
  • Natalie L. Marchant,
  • for the Medit-Ageing Research Group,
  • Florence Allais,
  • Claire André,
  • Eider Arenaza-Urquijo,
  • Romain Bachelet,
  • Sebastian Baez Lugo,
  • Thorsten Barnhofer,
  • Maelle Botton,
  • Nina Coll-Padros,
  • Robin De Flores,
  • Vincent De La Sayette,
  • Marion Delarue,
  • Stéphanie Egret,
  • Hélène Espérou,
  • Eric Frison,
  • Karine Goldet,
  • Idir Hamdidouche,
  • Marc Heidmann,
  • Agathe Joret Philippe,
  • Elizabeth Kuhn,
  • Renaud La Joie,
  • Brigitte Landeau,
  • Gwendoline Le Du,
  • Valérie Lefranc,
  • Maria Leon,
  • Dix Meiberth,
  • Florence Mezenge,
  • Inés Moulinet,
  • Cassandre Palix,
  • Léo Paly,
  • Anne Quillard,
  • Géraldine Rauchs,
  • Stéphane Rehel,
  • Florence Requier,
  • Leslie Reyrolle,
  • Laura Richert,
  • Ana Salinero,
  • Eric Salmon,
  • Raquel Sanchez,
  • Lena Sannemann,
  • Ann-Katrin Schild,
  • Marco Schlosser,
  • Clémence Tomadesso,
  • Edelweiss Touron,
  • Denis Vivien,
  • Patrik Vuilleumier,
  • Cédrick Wallet

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1332398
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 15

Abstract

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IntroductionMental health conditions are associated with cognition and physical function in older adults. We examined whether worry and ruminative brooding, key symptoms of certain mental health conditions, are related to subjective and/or objective measures of cognitive and physical (cardiovascular) health.MethodsWe used baseline data from 282 participants from the SCD-Well and Age-Well trials (178 female; agemean = 71.1 years). We measured worry and ruminative brooding using the Penn State Worry Questionnaire and the Ruminative Response Scale-brooding subscale. We assessed subjective physical health using the WHOQOL-Bref physical subscale, and objective physical health via blood pressure and modified versions of the Framingham Risk Score and Charlson Comorbidity Index. With subjective and objective cognition, we utilized the Cognitive Difficulties Scale and a global composite (modified Preclinical Alzheimer’s Cognitive Composite, PACC5, with the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-IV, category fluency, Mattis Dementia Rating Scale-2, and either the California Verbal Learning Test or the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test). We conducted linear regressions, adjusted for education, age, sex and cohort.ResultsWorry and ruminative brooding were negatively associated with subjective physical health (worry: β = −0.245, 95%CI −0.357 to −0.133, p < 0.001; ruminative brooding: β = −0.224, 95%CI −0.334 to −0.113, p < 0.001) and subjective cognitive difficulties (worry: β = 0.196, 95%CI 0.091 to 0.302, p < 0.001; ruminative brooding: β = 0.239, 95%CI 0.133 to 0.346, p < 0.001). We did not observe associations between worry or ruminative brooding and any measure of objective health.DiscussionWorry and ruminative brooding may be common mechanisms associated with subjective but not objective health. Alternatively, cognitively unimpaired older adults may become aware of subtle changes not captured by objective measures used in this study. Interventions reducing worry and ruminative brooding may promote subjective physical and cognitive health; however, more research is needed to determine causality of the relationships.

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