Living Alone and Depressive Symptoms: The Influence of Gender, Physical Disability, and Social Support Among Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Older Adults

Abstract Aims Loneliness is increasingly recognised as a serious public health issue worldwide. However, there is scarce research addressing the association between loneliness and suicide in older adults in rural China. We set out to examine loneliness and other psychosocial factors in elderly suicide cases and explore their interaction effects. Methods Using a 1 : 1 matched case–control design, data were collected from 242 elderly suicide cases and 242 living community controls by psychological autopsy method in rural China, including demographic characteristics, loneliness, depression, hopelessness and social support. The chi-square automatic interaction detection (CHAID) tree model and multivariable logistic regression analysis were used to explore the relationships of these factors and suicide. Results The CHAID tree model showed that loneliness, hopelessness and depressive symptoms were closely associated with completed suicide and that loneliness and hopelessness interacted with each other. The result of multivariable logistic regression showed that individuals who were unemployed [odds ratio (OR) = 2.344; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.233–4.457], living alone (OR = 2.176; 95% CI: 1.113–4.254), had lower levels of subjective social support (OR = 2.185; 95% CI: 1.243–3.843), experienced depressive symptoms (OR = 6.700; 95% CI: 3.405–13.182), showed higher levels of hopelessness (OR = 7.253; 95% CI: 3.764–13.974) and felt higher levels of hopelessness × higher levels of loneliness (OR = 2.446; 95% CI: 1.089–5.492) were significantly associated with an elevated suicide risk in older people in rural China. Conclusions Regular evaluation of loneliness, hopelessness and depression can help detect older adults who are at risk of committing suicide. Interventions should target social support systems, particularly among people living alone, to alleviate feelings of loneliness and hopelessness. Treating depression is also key to preventing suicide among elderly people in rural China.

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Loneliness, Social Support, and Psychological Wellbeing Among Older Adults

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.3705 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 1046-1046

Author(s):

Poshan Dahal ◽

Eva Kahana ◽

Tirth Bhatta ◽

Polina Ermoshkina

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Older Adults ◽

Life Satisfaction ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Later Life ◽

Retirement Community ◽

Living Alone ◽

Psychological Wellbeing ◽

Negative Affects ◽

Lower Life Satisfaction

Abstract Social support in old age has been linked to psychological wellbeing outcomes, such as depressive symptoms. However, insufficient attention has been paid to implications of social support for different domains of psychological wellbeing. In this study, we explored these associations among 797 older adults (mean age = 78.61 years) living in a retirement community in Florida from the ECRC study. Our findings show that measures of social support and connectedness have varying influences on psychological wellbeing. Loneliness was associated with lower life satisfaction (b=- -1.12, p<0.001) and higher depressive symptoms (b=3.52, p<0.001). Higher self-rated social support was associated with higher life satisfaction (b= 1.66, p<0.001) but did not predict depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms, however, were significantly higher (b=-1.45) among individuals who reported that they don’t have anyone who they can turn to if they feel lonely and want to talk. Feeling lonely also predicted lower positive affects among these older adults (b=-0.65, p<0.001). Similarly, loneliness also predicted higher negative affects (b=1.28, p<0.001). Negative affects were also significantly higher among women (b=-1.15, p<0.001) but lower among those who were living alone (b=-1.06, p<0.001). Overall, our findings underscore the importance of social support and connectedness for psychological wellbeing in later life. This finding is consistent with prior research demonstrating significance of social support in later life for the overall psychological wellbeing of the older adults.

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PSYCHOSOCIAL PREDICTORS OF THE GENDER DIFFERENCE IN DEPRESSION OF OLDER ADULTS IN THE ORANJ BOWL PANEL

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.3162 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S860-S861

Author(s):

Christine V Ferri ◽

Kaite Yang ◽

Joan Girgus

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Older Adults ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Gender Difference ◽

Functional Ability ◽

Income Level ◽

Living Alone ◽

Psychosocial Predictors ◽

And Gender ◽

Preventative Interventions

Abstract Recent reviews show that the gender difference in depressive symptoms that emerges in adolescence persists in older adults (Girgus, Yang & Ferri, 2017; Salk, Hyde & Abramson, 2017). However, researchers have yet to explain why this gender difference occurs in older adults and if it is for the same reasons as in younger ages. The present study used data collected from 3008 participants over the age of 60 (M=66.45, SD=4.36) from the baseline wave of the ORANJ BOWL, a longitudinal study based in New Jersey (Pruchno, Wilson-Genderson, Rose, & Cartwright, 2010). Depressive symptoms were measured with the CES-D. Six psychosocial predictors of the gender difference in depression were analyzed: functional ability, social support, perceived financial comfort, income level, marital status, and living alone. Women reported significantly more depressive symptoms compared to men (p<.001). Women had significantly lower functional ability, physical health, financial comfort, income level, but more social support than men (all p’s<.02). Women were more likely to live alone and to be separated, divorced, or widowed (all p’s<.001). Significant interactions for gender x functional ability, gender x social support, and gender x living alone were found in predicting depression using hierarchical linear regression. Living alone and poor function were more detrimental for men than women. Low social support was more detrimental for women than men. Understanding the gender difference in depressive symptoms will allow for targeted screening and preventative interventions for women and men at highest risk for depression.

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Intergenerational Relationships, Social Support, and Psychological Well-Being Among Korean Older Adults

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.1608 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 498-498

Author(s):

Yooumi Lee ◽

Janet Wilmoth

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Older Adults ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Living Arrangements ◽

Linear Models ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Adult Child ◽

Intergenerational Relationships ◽

Well Being ◽

Psychological Well Being

Abstract This study investigates whether intergenerational relationships and social support improve the psychological well-being of Korean older adults. We examine whether intergenerational relationships and social support directly influence psychological well-being and the extent to which they mediate the distressing consequences of life events such as declining health and recent widowhood. Using longitudinal data from the 2006 to 2016 Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging, we explore depression trajectories among individuals who are 60 or older with at least one living adult child at baseline. Specifically, we converted data from 5,383 older adults into a person-period file with 24,726 observations over a ten-year period. Then we estimated linear growth curve models of depression trajectories separately for men and women using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Results from the hierarchical linear models indicate that declining health and recent widowhood are positively related to depressive symptoms. Satisfactory intergenerational relationships and social support in the form of personal interactions and proximate living arrangements with adult children decrease depressive symptoms of older parents, especially among women. We conclude that the psychological benefits of intergenerational relationships and social support are contingent upon the vulnerability of older adults and discuss the implications for public policy.

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Social Support as a Mediator of Physical Disability and Depressive Symptoms in Chinese Elderly

Archives of Psychiatric Nursing ◽

10.1016/j.apnu.2017.11.012 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 32 (2) ◽

pp. 256-262 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Hui Xie ◽

Wenjia Peng ◽

Yang Yang ◽

Dan Zhang ◽

Yaoyao Sun ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Physical Disability ◽

Chinese Elderly

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The mediating role of disability and social support in the association between low vision and depressive symptoms in older adults

Quality of Life Research ◽

10.1007/s11136-013-0536-0 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 23 (3) ◽

pp. 1039-1043 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Gertrudis I. J. M. Kempen ◽

Adelita V. Ranchor ◽

Ton Ambergen ◽

G. A. Rixt Zijlstra

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Older Adults ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Low Vision ◽

Mediating Role

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Social Support and Depression among Older Adults Living Alone: The Importance of Friends Within and Outside of a Retirement Community

Social Work ◽

10.1093/sw/42.4.348 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 42 (4) ◽

pp. 348-362 ◽

Cited By ~ 52

Author(s):

M. K. Potts

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Older Adults ◽

Retirement Community ◽

Living Alone

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Factors Associated with Frailty According to Gender of Older Adults Living Alone

Healthcare ◽

10.3390/healthcare9040475 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (4) ◽

pp. 475

Author(s):

Hye-Young Jang ◽

Ji-Hye Kim

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Nutritional Status ◽

Chronic Diseases ◽

Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽

Living Alone ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Chi Squared ◽

Korean Elderly

This study was conducted to identify the factors associated with frailty according to gender of older adults living alone in Korea. Data from the National Survey of the Living Conditions of Korean Elderly in 2017 were used. Participants were 2340 older adults who live alone. Frailty was determined based on the frailty criteria developed by van Kan et al. that consist of fatigue, resistance, ambulation, and illness. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-squared test, t-test, Jonckheere–Terpstra test and multinomial logistic regression. Among the older men living alone, 47.7% were in the pre-frail and 5.1% were in the frail. On the other hand, 51.8% were in the pre-frail and 12.2% were in the frail among the older women living alone. The factors associated with frailty according to gender are as follows. In males, depressive symptoms, limitation in IADL, and number of medications in pre-frail; BMI, limitation in IADL, and number of chronic diseases in frail. In females, depressive symptoms, number of chronic diseases, age, and nutritional status in pre-frail; limitation in IADL, depressive symptoms, age, number of chronic diseases, number of medications, nutritional status in frail. Based on the findings of this study, it is considered necessary to approach frailty management considering gender as well as the classification of frailty.

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THE PROTECTIVE ROLE OF SOCIAL SUPPORT ON DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS AMONG AGING SEXUAL MINORITY CANADIANS

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.1113 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S303-S304

Author(s):

Arne Stinchcombe ◽

Nicole G Hammond ◽

Kimberley Wilson

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Older Adults ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Sexual Orientation ◽

Sexual Minority ◽

Large Population ◽

Population Based ◽

Protective Role ◽

Linear Regression Models ◽

And Bisexual

Abstract Sexual minority older adults face minority stressors that are associated with higher rates of mental illness. The stress buffering effects of social support within majority populations are well documented. Using a large population-based sample of aging Canadians, we sought to examine the relationship between sexual orientation and depressive symptoms, and determine whether this relationship is moderated by social support and sex. Baseline data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) were used (n = 46147). Participants were between the ages of 45-85 years at time of recruitment (mean age = 62.46, SD = 10.27), and self-reported their sexual orientation as heterosexual or lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) (2.1%). Social support and depressive symptoms were measured using validated instruments. Four functional social support subscales were derived: tangible, positive social interaction, affectionate, and emotional/informational. Multiple linear regression models adjusted for relevant covariates were conducted. LGB identification was associated with greater depressive symptoms when compared to heterosexual participants (p = 0.032). As evidenced by a significant 3-way interaction (p = 0.030), increasing tangible social support was associated with a corresponding decrease in the risk of depressive symptoms; this relationship was most pronounced for lesbian and bisexual women. A significant 2-way interaction (p = 0.040) revealed that as emotional/informational social support increased, depressive symptoms decreased, with greater disparity between LGB and heterosexual participants at lower levels of social support. The results highlight the importance of social support in promoting mental health, especially among sexual minority older adults.

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Relationship Between Frailty and Depression Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults: The Mediating and Moderating Role of Social Support

The Gerontologist ◽

10.1093/geront/gnaa072 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 60 (8) ◽

pp. 1466-1475 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Yaru Jin ◽

Huaxin Si ◽

Xiaoxia Qiao ◽

Xiaoyu Tian ◽

Xinyi Liu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Older Adults ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Rating Scale ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Linear Regression Models ◽

Frailty Phenotype ◽

Community Dwelling Older Adults ◽

The Relationship

Abstract Background and Objectives Frailty is associated with depression in older adults and reduces their social support. However, the mechanism underlying such relationship remains unclear. We aim to examine whether social support acts as a mediator or moderator in the relationship between frailty and depression. Research Design and Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted among 1,779 community-dwelling older adults aged 60 and older. Frailty, social support, and depressive symptoms were measured by the Physical Frailty Phenotype, Social Support Rating Scale, and five-item Geriatric Depression Scale, respectively. Data were also collected on age, gender, years of schooling, monthly income, cognitive function, number of chronic diseases, physical function, and pain. Results Linear regression models showed that subjective support and support utilization, but not objective support, mediated and moderated the relationship between frailty and depressive symptoms. The Johnson–Neyman technique determined a threshold of 30 for subjective support, but not for support utilization, beyond which the detrimental effect of frailty on depressive symptoms was offset. Discussion and Implications Social support underlies the association of frailty with depression, and its protective role varies by type. Interventions on depression should address improving perceptions and utilization of social support among frail older adults rather than simply providing them with objective support.

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