Feeling Useful, Staying Sharp: The Interplay of Perceived Usefulness, Depressive Symptoms, and Cognitive Reserve in Cognitive Aging.

ObjectivesWe examined whether feeling useful to others is related to cognitive performance and whether this association is explained by depressive symptoms and moderated by cognitive reserve.MethodsThe study used a sample of 476 adults aged 50+ from the Israeli component of the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). A moderated mediation model examined the links between perceived usefulness and cognitive performance, the mediation of depressive symptoms, and the moderation of cognitive reserve.ResultsWe found a direct effect of perceived usefulness on cognitive performance. This association was partly explained by depressive symptoms, such that feeling useful to others was related to less depressive symptoms, which were related to better cognitive performance. These associations were pronounced among participants with low cognitive reserve.DiscussionThese findings could guide interventions promoting purposeful engagement in later life, particularly targeting those with limited cognitive reserve.