Background: The objective is to investigate whether memory complaints in older persons without manifest cognitive decline are associated with depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, physical health and personality characteristics. Furthermore, it is investigated whether personality characteristics have a modifying effect on the association of memory complaints with depressive and anxiety symptoms and physical health.
Methods: The study was carried out using the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA). Participants were examined during three observation cycles covering a period of 6 years. They were asked about memory complaints, and were examined on cognitive functioning, physical health, depressive and anxiety symptoms, and the personality characteristics: mastery, perceived self-efficacy and neuroticism. The data were analysed by means of Generalised Estimating Equations (GEE).
Results: Memory complaints were associated with physical health problems, depressive and anxiety symptoms, low feelings of mastery, low perceived self-efficacy and high neuroticism. The associations between memory complaints and physical health problems, depressive and anxiety symptoms were significantly stronger in people with high mastery, high perceived self-efficacy and low neuroticism.
Limitations: We used a conservative criterion for cognitive decline and therefore we might have included some people with cognitive decline during our follow-up. In order to minimise selection bias we included actual cognitive performance in our regression models.
Conclusions: Our findings suggest that when older persons complain about their memory and do not show actual cognitive decline, one should be aware that these complaints might reflect psycho-affective or health problems.