University College London study links long-term financial stress to cognitive decline

Research from University College London (UCL) indicates that prolonged financial hardship from young adulthood through middle age is linked to lower cognitive abilities by age 53. The study, published in the journal Innovation in Aging, analyzed data from 2,759 participants in the British Birth Cohort Study 1946.

Researchers categorized individuals as experiencing continuous low income if they fell into the bottom 20 percent of earners at least twice during assessments at ages 26, 43, and 53. Approximately 16 percent of participants met this criteria. Additionally, about 12 percent reported ongoing financial difficulties, such as struggling to meet basic needs or pay bills. For those undergoing brain scans, long-term financial issues were also associated with poorer brain health indicators between the ages of 69 and 71.