Self-Reported Cognitive Disability Rose 40% in a Decade: What It Means (and Doesn’t)

A headline number has been making the rounds: self-reported cognitive disability among US adults is up about 40%. The number is real. What it measures is narrower than the headline suggests, and the authors of the study say so themselves.

What the study found

Researchers led by Wong analyzed CDC survey data covering 2013 to 2023 (2020 was excluded) and more than 4.5 million responses.^[1] The share of US adults who said they have serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions rose from 5.3% in 2013 to 7.4% in 2023. These are age-adjusted figures, and the authors excluded people who reported depression so they could better isolate non-psychiatric cognitive problems.^[1]

That is a relative increase of about 40% (7.4 divided by 5.3; the 40% is our arithmetic on the two published percentages, not a figure quoted in the paper). Put plainly, roughly one in 14 US adults reported this difficulty in 2023.

The increase was not spread evenly. It was concentrated among adults aged 18 to 39, where the rate went from 5.1% to 9.7%, nearly doubling. The authors identify this younger group as the primary driver of the overall rise.^[1]

What this measure is, and is not

The data come from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), an annual state-based telephone survey. The cognitive item is a single yes-or-no question: do you have serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition?^[3] It is one of six disability questions in the survey. It is a self-report in a phone interview. It is not a cognitive test and not a diagnosis.

One of the study’s senior authors, Adrin de Havenon, put it this way: “This isn’t a diagnosis of dementia or even of cognitive impairment… a subjective report.”^[2] So this is a rise in people saying they struggle, not a measured rise in cognitive decline.

Why is it rising? The causes are not known yet

The study did not identify causes. The abstract refers only to a heterogeneous range of underlying causes, and says the growth among younger adults warrants further investigation.^[1] Possible explanations offered include people getting better at recognizing and reporting these difficulties, or underdiagnosis. De Havenon described the reasons as ones “that we don’t understand yet.”^[2]

That uncertainty matters. A survey like this can show that something changed. It cannot show why, and it cannot show whether any individual’s concentration or memory has worsened. Claims that this proves a particular cause, whether screens, sleep, work culture or anything else, go beyond what the data can support.

How to read a number like this

• Check the definition. “Cognitive disability” here means a yes-or-no self-report, not a test result.
• Check who moved. The rise came mainly from adults under 40, which is not the picture most headlines about cognition suggest.
• Do not mix series. These age-adjusted rates (5% to 7%) exclude people reporting depression and are not comparable to other CDC figures that use different adjustments or age groups.

If your own concentration or memory has changed noticeably, or is getting worse, talk to a clinician. Many things can affect thinking, and a survey statistic cannot tell you which one applies to you. At Bettering Me, we treat population numbers as context for questions, not as answers about any one person.

References

^↑︎ Wong KH, Anderson CD, Peterson C, Bouldin E, Littig L, Krothapalli N, Francis T, Kim Y, Cucufate G, Rosand J, Sheth KN, de Havenon A. Rising Cognitive Disability as a Public Health Concern Among US Adults: Trends From the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2013-2023. Neurology. 2025;105(8):e214226. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000214226. Finding as used: among US adults in the CDC Disability and Health Data System (BRFSS), 2013-2023 excluding 2020, n = 4,507,061 responses, age-adjusted prevalence of serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions rose from 5.3% (95% CI 5.1-5.4) to 7.4% (95% CI 7.2-7.6), with significant increases beginning in 2016; among adults 18-39 it rose from 5.1% (95% CI 4.8-5.3) to 9.7% (95% CI 9.2-10.2), identified as the primary driver; respondents reporting depression were excluded; underlying causes described as heterogeneous and the younger-adult increase as warranting further investigation. The “about 40%” relative change is computed from the two published percentages. Cross-sectional survey data; self-reported.

^↑︎ Yale News. Growing number of US adults report cognitive disability. 24 September 2025. https://news.yale.edu/2025/09/24/growing-number-us-adults-report-cognitive-disability. Finding as used: quotes from study author Adrin de Havenon that the measure “isn’t a diagnosis of dementia or even of cognitive impairment… a subjective report,” and that possible explanations are better reporting or underdiagnosis, occurring for “reasons that we don’t understand yet.” No DOI (news article).

^↑︎ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Disability and Health Data System. Data guide: disability status and types. Accessed 2026-10-15. https://cdc.gov/dhds/data-guides/status-and-types.html. Finding as used: the cognitive disability item is one of six BRFSS disability questions, asked as serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition. No DOI (agency data guide).

Kurt Greiner

Kurt is a digital strategist and IT professional blending emerging technology with practical application to help businesses and individuals streamline their digital presence. His current work focuses on the intersection of intentional living and technological resilience, exploring how individuals can leverage modern tools to navigate the second half of life with purpose.