Psychologists’ Role in Promoting Brain Health Equity in an Aging and Increasingly Diverse Society

Abstract

Research shows that healthy lifestyle behavior (e.g., regular physical, social, and cognitive activity) benefits brain health, but not all communities have equal access to the knowledge and resources needed to engage in these behaviors. For example, older adults and minoritized communities not only face a greater risk for brain-based disorders but also face greater barriers to engaging in brain-healthy behavior. Psychologists play an important role in promoting brain health equity. This article provides evidence-based information for understanding the importance of brain health, the existing inequities, and the social determinants contributing to brain health disparities. Using a social-ecological perspective, barriers to brain-healthy behavior in minoritized communities are summarized, and ideas for addressing these issues in clinical care are explored.

Key words: lifestyle interventions, cognitive aging, brain aging, health disparities

Disclosures: Competing Interests. VMD is owner of CerebroFit, LLC. Funding. VMD is supported by the National Institute on Aging (U19AG073172, U19AG065169). SAL is supported by the 1Florida Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (P30AG066506-01)