The effect of perceived forgetfulness on quality of life in older adults; a qualitative review

Abstract

SUMMARYBackground Approximately 50% of older individuals perceive themselves as being forgetful. Objective The objective of this review is to get an overview of previous research on the relation between perceived forgetfulness (in the absence of objective memory deficit) and quality of life in older individuals. Findings in previous research might be a starting point for further research and possible future interventions. Methods Scientific papers that investigated the relation between subjective memory complaints and quality of life were searched. Two independent raters scored the articles on their methodology. The methodological quality was taken into account when conclusions were drawn. Results The literature search resulted in 682 articles, of which five studies met the inclusion criteria. Although the five studies differed in their methodology, the findings of the methodologically adequate studies show a relation between memory complaints and a diminished quality of life in the elderly. Conclusions The negative impact that subjective memory complaints can have on quality of life makes it important to acknowledge forgetfulness as a serious issue in the life of older individuals. However, more research is needed to explore the relationship between subjective memory complaints and quality of life, also with regard to the influence of depression and objective memory performance.

Effects of depressive symptoms and routinization on metamemory during adulthood

“…Nevertheless, recent studies have shown that negative metamemory can reduce engagement in cognitive and social activities (Valentijn et al, 2006), whose effects are thought to have a positive impact on cognitive ageing (Hultsch et al, 1999;Kramer and Willis, 2002;Kliegel et al, 2004). Moreover, negative perceptions of one's own memory could reduce well-being (Mol et al, 2007). Our results show that metamemory may vary with aging, depressive symptoms and routinization.…”

“…This result showed the importance of memory self-efficacy in memory functioning for elderly people, and that this could influence the motivation and confidence to engage in novel activities (Lachman et al, 1987). Consequently, metamemory could have impact on the objective and subjective quality of life (Mol et al, 2007), and various authors have claimed the importance of metamemory in the capacity to fit with environment changes and integrate memory modifications during aging (e.g., Bieman-Copland and Charness, 1994).…”

“…The relationship between beliefs about memory and memory performance has been found to be weak both in retrospective memory (Hertzog et al, 2000) and in prospective memory (McDonald-Miszczak et al, 1999), and more observable with naturalistic tasks than laboratory tasks (West et al, 1996). Mol et al (2007) showed that older adults who present memory complaints also report a worse quality of life, and this relation could be mediated by depressive affects.…”

“…The perception of memory capacities could have important repercussions on well-being and investment in daily activities (Valentijn et al, 2006;Mol et al, 2007). Previous studies have shown that aging and depression can notably affect perception of memory capacities and motivation to use memory strategies.…”

A New Comprehensive Educational Group Program for Older Adults with Cognitive Complaints: Background, Content, and Process Evaluation

“…It is thus clear that a common complaint of normally aging individuals refers to cognitive changes. The presence of such perceived cognitive losses significantly contributes to a lowered quality of life (Mol et al, 2007;Mol, van Boxtel, Willems, Verhey, & Jolles, 2009). These cognitive problems are a source of worry and frustration for many aging individuals.…”