If you’re in your 40s, 50s, or 60s and starting to notice that you’re occasionally forgetting things, misplacing things, sometimes having trouble finding words, or worrying about future memory loss, you’re not alone. Although dementia is not a normal part of ageing, age is still the greatest risk factor for dementia (World Health Organisation [WHO], 2025). But what if an increasingly well-supported protective factor for brain health isn’t found in a prescription pad, but in something much more fundamental: your sense of purpose in life?

What if one of the most well-supported factors for healthy ageing and longevity isn’t found in a prescription pad, but in helping people explore meaning and purpose in their lives? Recent long-term studies indicate that a sense of purpose may be as clinically relevant as other well-studied lifestyle factors, such as physical activity and managing chronic conditions. For those navigating the transitions of midlife and beyond — retirement, bereavement, unexpected health events, chronic illness, or caregiving — there is growing evidence that purpose matters and is associated with reduced risk of chronic diseases and mortality.