The Association of Religious Attendance and Neuropsychiatric Symptoms, Cognition, and Sleep Disturbances in Dementia

Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS), cognitive decline, and sleep disturbances are commonly found in dementia and are indicators of dementia progression (Alzheimer’s Association, 2021; Santacruz Escudero, et al., 2019; Tsunoda, et al., 2020). Given the growing number of older adults with dementia and absence of a cure, it is increasingly important to identify protective factors that may slow progression of dementia, particularly since up to 40% of risk factors are modifiable (Livingston et al., 2020). A growing body of literature supports religion and spirituality as modifiable risk factors for mental and physical health, yet few studies have been conducted in older adults with dementia (Koenig et al., 2012; VanderWeele et al., 2017).