Hallucinations in Healthy Older Adults: An Overview of the Literature and Perspectives for Future Research

Studies suggest a substantial minority of healthy older adults have hallucinatory experiences, in line with existing evidence on hallucinations in other age groups, though it is still unclear if hallucination prevalence increases or declines with age in older cohorts. Stigma attached to both hallucinations and ageing leads to considerable underreporting of these experiences in healthy older adults and may negatively bias how professionals, family members, and the public respond. Why and when hallucinations in healthy older adults remit, persist, or progress to other clinical disorders remains poorly understood. Current evidence points to a range of factors associated with hallucinations in older adults including decline in sensory or cognitive functioning, poor sleep, and psychosocial stressors (e.g., social isolation, loneliness, and bereavement), highlighting the need for accurate assessment and tailored interventions.