Recent trauma suffered during adulthood has a greater impact on aspects of cognitive functioning that trauma suffered during childhood. However, experiencing the death of a parent or parental divorce during childhood was associated with an increase in cognitive decline. People who reported experiencing traumatic events showed greater overall declines in executive function and episodic memory during later life than those who had no experience of adverse events. This was especially true for those who experienced trauma during adulthood than those who experienced trauma as children.