Evidence mapPaperPMID 41398370Full record

ArticleMolecular psychiatry2026

Associations between plasma proteins and psychological wellbeing: evidence from over 20 years of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.

Jessica Gong, Shaun Scholes, Steven Cole, Paola Zaninotto, Andrew Steptoe

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Molecular psychiatry, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Jessica GongDepartment of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, UK. jessica.gong@ucl.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6027-7640
Shaun ScholesDepartment of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, UK.
Steven ColeCousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, and Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Paola ZaninottoDepartment of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3036-0499
Andrew SteptoeDepartment of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7808-4943

Funding

DH | National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) 198/1074-02U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Institute on Aging (U.S. National Institute on Aging) R01AG17644
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

A deeper understanding of the molecular processes involved in psychological wellbeing in older adults is essential for advancing knowledge of underlying biological mechanisms. Leveraging proteomics data from 3,262 older adults (mean age = 63.5 years, 55% female) of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), we investigated the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations (before and after protein measurement) between 276 proteins and eudaimonic wellbeing, hedonic wellbeing, life satisfaction, and depressive symptoms, over 20-year span. For positive wellbeing, two proteins (DEFB4A and ECE1) were longitudinally associated with subsequent eudaimonic wellbeing trajectory. We further identified higher concentrations of 7, 8, and 2 proteins were linked to subsequent lower eudaimonic wellbeing, hedonic wellbeing, and life satisfaction, respectively. Sex differences in XCL1 and SLAMF7 were observed, associated with subsequent lower eudaimonic and hedonic wellbeing in males. These findings link human psychological wellbeing to regulation of several biological pathways, particularly involving cytokine regulation, neurotrophic signaling, inflammatory and immune systems.

Indexed as

AgingBlood ProteinsAgedCross-Sectional StudiesDepressionEnglandFemaleHumansLongitudinal StudiesMaleMental HealthMiddle AgedPersonal SatisfactionProteomicsQuality of LifeBlood Proteins

Identifiers

PMID41398370
PMCPMC13099418

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.