New publication featured in Reuters 'Stressful relationships tied to mental decline'

Jing Liao, a PhD student in the Whitehall II Group, has published a paper on the 'Negative aspects of close relationships as risk factors for cognitive aging' (Am J Epidemiol. 2014 Dec 1;180(11):1118-25). The results were featured in a media release, 'Stressful relationships tied to mental decline' in Reuters Health.

Key Finding

This study uses the repeat measures of the Whitehall II cohort. We looked at people who have had close personal relationships in their middle age which have caused them stress, problems or worries. We found that this may contribute to a faster decline in the cognitive function when they reach an older age. However, the potential protective effect from confiding support was not detected for cognitive ageing.