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Is depression a risk factor for dementia or cognitive decline? A review
Jorm AF.. Gerontology, 2000-07-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Background It is generally accepted that depression can be associated with significant cognitive deficits and that depression can be comorbid with dementia. Objective This review seeks to go further and ask whether depression earlier in life can be a risk factor for subsequent dementia or for cognitive decline. Methods A review was made of the epidemiological evidence from case-control and prospective studies that depression is a risk factor. The literature was also reviewed in relation to six hypotheses that might explain an association: (1) depression treatments are a risk factor for dementia, (2) dementia and depression share common risk factors, (3) depression is a prodrome of dementia, (4) depression is an early reaction to cognitive decline, (5) depression affects the threshold for manifesting dementia, and (6) depression is a causal factor in dementia. Results A meta-analysis found that depression was associated with an increased risk of subsequent dementia in both case-control studies (95% CI for relative risk: 1.16-3.50) and prospective studies (95% CI: 1.08-3.20). There was little support for hypotheses 1 and 2. The other hypotheses have limited support, but warrant further research. Conclusion There is sufficient evidence to take seriously the possibility that depression is a risk factor for dementia and cognitive decline. Further work is needed to examine depression as a prodrome of vascular dementia, depression as an early reaction to perceived cognitive decline, the effects of depression on the threshold for manifesting dementia, and depression as a source of hippocampal damage through a glucocorticoid cascade.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Jorm, A. F. (2000). Is depression a risk factor for dementia or cognitive decline? A review. Gerontology. https://doi.org/10.1159/000022163
Vancouver
Jorm AF. Is depression a risk factor for dementia or cognitive decline? A review. Gerontology. 2000. doi:10.1159/000022163. PMID: 10859462.
BibTeX
@article{jorm2000-10859462,
author = {Jorm, A. F.},
title = {{Is depression a risk factor for dementia or cognitive decline? A review}},
journal = {Gerontology},
year = {2000},
doi = {10.1159/000022163},
pmid = {10859462},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1159/000022163}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Background It is generally accepted that depression can be associated with significant cognitive deficits and that depression can be comorbid with dementia.
- Results A meta-analysis found that depression was associated with an increased risk of subsequent dementia in both case-control studies (95% CI for relative risk: 1.16-3.50) and prospective studies (95% CI: 1.08-3.20).
Why it matters
This review found that depression was associated with an increased risk of later dementia in both case-control and prospective studies. It concludes there is enough evidence to take seriously the possibility that depression is a risk factor for dementia and cognitive decline, but it does not show that treating depression prevents dementia.
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Study details
- Study designmeta-analysis
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 63/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a meta-analysis pooling many studies. Scored zero for sample size, effect reported and studied in people because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Gerontology) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Gerontology: journal h-index 151 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 12 / 12 | A meta-analysis pooling many studies |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2000 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | A review of other studies — randomisation is not credited here |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 418 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 14.9 citations a year over 28 year(s) since 2000 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 10.2× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 19 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 29 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Anthony Francis Jorm: h-index 137 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Australian National University: institution h-index 1,088 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 10859462) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 63 / 100 | — |
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