Dementia risk more than doubled by Schizophrenia - Video

People with psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia are 2.5 times more likely than those without a psychotic disorder to eventually develop dementia, according to a review of the evidence led by UCL researchers. The new meta-analysis found that psychotic disorders may have a stronger link with dementia than other mental health disorders like depression or anxiety.

Schizophrenia and other related psychotic disorders are severe illnesses that involve symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions, and social withdrawal. Many people also experience impairments in cognitive and functional skills.

The researchers pulled together evidence from 11 studies from nine countries on four continents, which included close to 13 million participants in total.

They found that across multiple different psychotic disorders, and regardless of the age at which someone first developed their mental illness, there was a higher risk of dementia later in life. Some studies included people diagnosed with psychotic disorders while young adults, with follow-up periods of multiple decades. They also found that people who have had a psychotic disorder tend to be younger than average at dementia diagnosis, with two studies finding that people with psychotic disorders were much more likely to be diagnosed with dementia while still in their 60s.

The findings add to the list of modifiable risk factors for dementia. UCL researchers have previously found that four in 10 dementia cases could be prevented or delayed by targeting risk factors from across the lifespan.

Reference:

Dr Jean Stafford et al, Non-affective Psychotic Disorders and Risk of Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, Psychological Medicine, DOI: 10.1017/S0033291722002781