Early Parental Death and Later-Life Neurological Outcomes: A Systematic Review of the Association, Moderators, and Mediators.
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Study design: Systematic Review
Abstract: Early parental death (EPD) is a severe form of early-life adversity known to increase vulnerability to long-term psychiatric and physical health complications. Emerging evidence suggests EPD may also be associated with poorer late-life neurological outcomes, including cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD), and stroke. Despite this potential, the literature currently lacks a comprehensive synthesis of these relationships across diverse populations and outcomes. This systematic review aims to address this gap by synthesizing existing quantitative evidence on the association between EPD, defined as the loss of a biological or adoptive parent between birth and age 25, and later-life neurological outcomes. We will evaluate neuropsychological performance, cognitive decline, and the incidence of neurological conditions in middle-to-older adulthood. Furthermore, this review will identify key moderators (such as sex, age at loss, and deceased parent gender) and mediators (such as education and health factors) to clarify inconsistencies in the evidence. The findings will highlight current knowledge gaps, identify high-risk subgroups, and inform future research and targeted intervention strategies.
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7203556456