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?

The cancer journey doesn't end when treatment does, and for many Australians in midlife and beyond, what comes next can feel just as daunting as what came before.

Internalised gay ageism or the experience of feeling devalued because of ageing within the context of a gay male identity, is a documented psychological construct associated with depressive symptoms, diminished sense of mattering, and loneliness in midlife and later life. Research identifies loneliness as the single strongest predictor of depression in older gay men, followed by ageism, internalised homophobia, and health behaviours. Protective factors include social connection within affirming communities, cultivating a sense of mattering, and psychological support that is identity-informed.

Dementia and Alzheimer's disease are not the same thing. Dementia is an umbrella term for a set of symptoms affecting memory, thinking, language, and behaviour, which can be caused by over 100 different conditions. Alzheimer's disease is the most common of these conditions, accounting for 60–80% of dementia cases. Understanding the difference matters because the type of dementia affects how symptoms present, progress, and are best supported.

Ageism quietly steals something from all of us; the belief that our best stories aren't behind us. For older gay men, that theft has rarely come alone. It has often arrived alongside decades of discrimination, a health crisis that dismantled a generation of friendships, and a culture that has too often treated both gayness and age as things to be managed down.

And yet, a significant body of emerging research is revealing something that upends the dominant story: many older gay men arrive at later life with psychological capacities that others spend years in therapy trying to build. Depth in relationships. Clarity about what matters. The ability to find stillness in complexity. A hard-won, unshakeable sense of self.

A serious health diagnosis can shatter the life you knew. But decades of research in positive psychology show that something unexpected — growth — can emerge alongside the distress. This article explores what the research says about psychological growth after illness, and what it might mean for you or someone you love.

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.

Dementia is now Australia's leading cause of death, affecting an estimated 446,500 Australians in 2026. According to the 2024 Lancet Commission, up to 45% of dementia cases globally may be prevented or delayed by addressing 14 modifiable risk factors, including physical inactivity, depression, social isolation, hearing loss, and high blood pressure. Midlife is a critical window for action: the earlier protective habits are established, the greater the potential benefit across the life course.

Why the stories our culture tells about growing older begin shaping us long before we get there; and why it’s never too early, or too late, to push back.