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Prior research indicates that APOE-e4 allele(s) and working without compensation may be independently associated with risk for cognitive decline. This study investigated whether the interaction of type of work (paid versus unpaid) and presence of APOE-e4 allele(s) was associated with cognitive dysfunction in women in mid- and late-life. Participants included 340 females (mean age = 74.7 years) from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) dataset. A two-way ANOVA to assess the simple main effects of type of work and APOE-e4 allele status on cognition as well as their interaction was performed. A two-way ANCOVA including age, education, and marital status as covariates was also conducted. The presence of one or two APOE-e4 allele(s) and unpaid work was associated with greater cognitive dysfunction. A significant interaction effect revealed engagement in paid work, regardless of the presence of APOE-e4 allele(s), was associated with better cognitive functioning. Consistent with prior literature, women who engage in unpaid forms of labor for the majority of their life may be at higher risk for cognitive decline, regardless of presence of APOE-e4 allele(s). Further research is needed to identify the factors related to unpaid labor that may increase risk for cognitive dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suicide in late life is a public health concern. Determining profiles of psychiatric/medical comorbidity in those who attempt while engaged in mental health services may assist with prevention. We identified comorbidity profiles and their association with utilization, means, and fatality in a national sample who attempted suicide. Using latent class analysis, all patients aged ≥ 65 from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare services (2012–2018) last seen in mental health prior to suicide attempt were included. Diagnoses and attempt data were obtained from VA and Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services, VA Suicide Prevention Applications Network, and VA National Mortality Data Repository. 2,269 patients were clustered into three profiles, all with high probability of depression. Profiles included minimal comorbidity (50.4%), high medical comorbidity (28.6%), and high (psychiatric/medical) comorbidity (21.0%). Over half (61.7%) attempted suicide within one week of their visit. The class with highest comorbidity had lowest proportion of fatal attempts, while minimal comorbidity class had highest proportion. Older patients last seen in mental health prior to suicide attempt were characterized by depression and varying additional comorbidity and attempt-related factors. Findings have implications for risk assessment and intervention in mental health settings, beyond depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The associated risk of Alzheimer's disease linked to the APOE‐e4 gene is similar in males and females. However, there is a disproportionate rate of Alzheimer's in women (two‐thirds) compared to men. Mayeda et al. (2020) found that women who worked for pay during early adulthood and midlife, whether married or unmarried, had a slower rate of memory decline in later life compared to women who did not work for pay. Although there has been much research on the association between type of paid work or work environment and dementia; for instance, work complexity, job control, and job strain, there has been little research that includes unpaid work in ascertaining its effect on women and neurocognitive functioning later in life. This study aims to find the interaction between paid work and the APOE‐e4 gene in predicting the risk for Alzheimer's disease (operationalized as ADAS13 total score at baseline) in women. Method: A two‐way ANOVA was performed using data at initial visit from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) database for 340 female participants. Result: There were significant main effects for APOE‐e4 gene on ADAS‐Cog‐13 total score (F (2,334) = 4.697, p =.010) as well as paid work on ADAS‐Cog‐13 total score (F (1,334) = 5.450, p =.020). The interaction between APOE‐e4 gene and paid work on ADAS‐Cog‐13 total was not significant (F (2,334) = 215.725, p =.091). Conclusion: APOE‐e4 gene as well as unpaid work are independently linked to higher scores on the ADAS‐Cog‐13 (Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale) for women. There is no interaction between APOE‐e4 gene and type of work on ADAS‐Cog‐13 scores for women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]