Uncertainty about aging: an investigation of the relation of intolerance of uncertainty and dementia experience to dementia worry

Objectives Although anxiety and depression decrease across the lifespan, age-related anxieties increase in older adults, particularly worries about experiencing cognitive decline or dementia. Dementia Worry (DW) is characterized by ruminative concerns about developing or experiencing symptoms of dementia. DW is related to negative mental health outcomes in older adults and increases as a function of exposure to dementia in others. What is less clear is the way in which other risk factors, such as intolerance of uncertainty (IU), are associated with DW, and whether an individual's personal dementia exposure moderates this association.