Bidirectional Relationships between Well-being and Cognitive Function

The current study examined bidirectional relationships between well-being and cognitive functionusing up to 10 annual assessments (M=5.67, SD=3.43) of different types of well-being and acomprehensive cognitive battery from an older adult Chicagoland sample (N=1,702; age:M=81.07, SD=8.04; 75.1% White/European American, 23.9% Black/African American).Bivariate latent growth curve models indicated older adults who started out with better well-being also had better cognitive function, and sharper decreases in well-being were associatedwith sharper declines in cognitive function. Random intercept cross-lagged panel modelsindicated older adults with better well-being on average had better cognitive function on average.Further, well-being change at one timepoint predicted subsequent cognitive change, and viceversa. These findings were stronger for eudaimonic well-being and sense of purpose than for lifesatisfaction. Findings highlight the role of well-being in the goal to combat cognitive decline, aswell as the importance of supporting well-being in individuals experiencing cognitive decline.