Protective and Risk Factors of Depression Among Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic adversely impacted the mental health of older adults. This study aims to explore the associations between protective/risk factors of depression during the pandemic and to examine the differences in these associations by marital status. Data from the Health and Retirement Study 2020 COVID-19 module, released in February, 2021, were used. The level of resilience during the pandemic was selected as a protective factor. The level of COVID-19 pandemic concern was selected as a risk factor. Among older adults aged 51 years and older, the weighted regression model found that higher levels of COVID-19 concern were associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms (p<0.05), whereas higher levels of resilience were associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms (p<0.05). Marital status moderated the association between COVID-19 concern and depressive symptoms. Never-married people were at higher risk of depressive symptoms than married people when COVID-19 concerns increased. It is important to enhance support for never-married people during the pandemic to protect their psychological well-being.

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Childlessness, Parenthood, and Depressive Symptoms Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults

Journal of Family Issues ◽

10.1177/0192513x08331114 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 30 (5) ◽

pp. 670-687 ◽

Cited By ~ 43

Author(s):

Regina M. Bures ◽

Tanya Koropeckyj-Cox ◽

Michael Loree

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Marital Status ◽

Well Being ◽

Future Research ◽

Parental Status ◽

Never Married ◽

Biological Parents ◽

Kinship Relations ◽

Social Parenthood

Prior research has examined whether parenthood is associated with higher levels of well-being among older adults, but definitions of parental status have varied. The authors examine links between parental status and depressive symptoms among older adults, comparing biological and social definitions of parenthood. The study finds few differences between biological and social parenthood but substantial variation in the relationship between parental status and depressive symptoms by gender and marital status. Biologically and socially childless adults had the lowest predicted levels of depression across all marital status groups. Widowed men averaged higher levels of depression than other men. For women, the highest predicted levels of depressive symptoms were observed among never-married biological parents and formerly married women who had outlived their children. Increased sampling of less common parental subgroups and diverse kinship relations to allow for more precise classifications and the consideration of joint marital—parental statuses in future research.

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Intergenerational Coresidence and Depressive Symptoms of Rural and Urban Older Adults in China

Journal of Family Issues ◽

10.1177/0192513x19888256 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 41 (8) ◽

pp. 1282-1306

Author(s):

Jinyu Liu ◽

Lydia Li ◽

Zhenmei Zhang ◽

Hongwei Xu

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Marital Status ◽

Linear Regression Analysis ◽

Later Life ◽

Well Being ◽

Chinese Older Adults ◽

Rural And Urban ◽

Intergenerational Coresidence

Objectives: This study aimed to examine whether gender and marital status of coresiding adult children are associated with depressive symptoms of Chinese older adults. Methods: Using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, linear regression analysis was conducted to identify longitudinal associations of intergenerational coresidence with depressive symptoms in rural and urban older Chinese. Results: Both rural and urban older adults living with unmarried sons had significantly higher depressive symptoms at four-year follow-up than those who did not live with children. Living with married sons was significantly associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms at four-year follow-up among rural elders only. Discussion: This study sheds light on the heterogeneity in the relationship between intergenerational coresidence and Chinese older adults’ psychological well-being by the gender and marital status of coresiding children. Further research is needed to understand the complex and dynamic household structures and health outcomes in later life.

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The impact of offspring marital status on depressive symptoms of parents: findings from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging

International Psychogeriatrics ◽

10.1017/s1041610216002064 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 29 (3) ◽

pp. 399-407

Author(s):

Woorim Kim ◽

Eun-Cheol Park ◽

Kyu-Tae Han ◽

Tae-Hoon Lee ◽

Tae Hyun Kim

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Longitudinal Study ◽

Marital Status ◽

Subgroup Analysis ◽

Divorce Rate ◽

Well Being ◽

Estimating Equation ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

Never Married ◽

The Impact

ABSTRACTBackground:Noticeable demographic changes have taken place in South Korea, with the general marriage rate decreasing and the average first age at marriage and general divorce rate increasing. The shown trends have contributed to intergenerational discordance in the perception of familial values, which is important in addressing the psychological well-being of parents. This study aimed to investigate the association between the marital status of offspring aged 40 years and over and the depression levels of parents.Methods:Data were from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA), 2006–2012. A total of 2,540 individuals with at least two offspring aged 40 years and over were included. Association between offspring marital status and parental depression scores, measured using the Center for Epidemiological Studies and Depression (CES-D 10) scale, was investigated using the generalized estimating equation (GEE) model. Subgroup analysis was performed based on offspring education level.Results:When parents with only married offspring were set as reference, parents with never married offspring (β: 0.27,p= 0.02), parents with separated offspring (β: 0.52,p= 0.03), and parents with never married offspring and separated offspring (β: 0.38,p< 0.001) showed increases in depression scores. In the subgroup analysis, these higher depression score effects were largely limited to parents with high school graduate offspring.Conclusion:It is important to monitor the mental health status of parents with never married, separated, or both never married and separated offspring as this group may be comparatively vulnerable to depressive symptoms.

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Age Paradox: Depressive Symptomatology For Older Men and Women in Taiwan

10.21203/rs.3.rs-605253/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ching-Ju Chiu ◽

Chun-Yu Tsai ◽

Tsung-Yu Tsai

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Older Adults ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Social Participation ◽

Protective Factor ◽

Depressive Symptomatology ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Advanced Age ◽

Men And Women ◽

Factors Associated

Abstract Background: To discern if prevalence of depressive symptoms in adults aged 65 and above in Taiwan changed during the past decade and to identify if protective and risk factors of depressive symptomatology differ by gender. Method: Data of nationally representative older adults (65+) interviewed from the 2005, 2009 and 2013 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) in Taiwan was analyzed (n=8,832). The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) was used for the measurement of depressive symptomatology. Results: Age adjusted prevalence rate of depressive symptomatology among older adults in Taiwan reduced from 20.6% to 13.3% (X2=-7.5, p<.05) in the community. The most significant factors associated with higher depressive symptomatology in both gender was too much carbohydrates intake, which was significantly associated with 8.8 (95%CI=5.1-15.2) and 7.9 (95%CI=5.2-11.8) times depressive symptomatology in men and women respectively. Factors associated with lower depressive symptomatology in both gender include advanced age (over the age of 85), exercise and social participation. The advanced age for men and women reduced about 63% (AOR over the age of 85=0.4, 95%CI=0.2-0.9) and 62% (AOR over the age of 85=0.4, 95%CI=0.2-0.8) of depressive symptomatology for men and women respectively; Exercise reduced about 50% (AOR exercise=0.5, 95%CI=0.3-0.6) and 58% (AOR exercise=0.5, 95%CI=0.3-0.6) of depressive symptomatology for men and women respectively; social participation reduced about 55% (AOR social participation=0.5, 95%CI=0.3-0.7) and 36% (AOR social participation=0.6, 95%CI=0.5-0.9) of depressive symptomatology for men and women respectively.Conclusions: For adults aged over 65, advanced age, which is 85+ for men and 75+ for women, is a significant protective factor guarding against depressive symptoms. Carbohydrates, cognitive disorder, heart disease and falls were associated with higher depressive symptomatology in both gender. The pulmonary disease, underweight and educational level were risk factors for men; metabolic disease and milk intake were risks for women. Common factors associated with lower depressive symptomatology in both gender includes advanced age, exercise and social participation. Tea and coffee intake and married status were associated with lower depressive symptomatology for women.

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Creative Hobbies as a Protective Factor Against Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Older Adults

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.051 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 14-14

Author(s):

Sarah Israel ◽

Darby Mackenstadt ◽

Carolyn Adams-Price

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Perceived Stress ◽

Protective Factor ◽

Health Anxiety ◽

Well Being ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Moderation Effect ◽

Middle Aged Adults ◽

High Degree

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically impacted our way of life, leading to increased rates of anxiety and depression (Panchal et al., 2021). The implications may be worse for older adults who account for 80% of all COVID deaths (Freed et al., 2020). Meanwhile, prior to the pandemic, Adams-Price and colleagues (2018) found that creative hobby participation provided slightly different benefits for middle-aged and older adults. Specifically, evidence suggested that middle-aged adults may use their creative hobby more for stress relief than older adults. Using a sample of 239 women, aged 40 to 84 years old (M = 59.7), we examined whether the degree to which viewing one’s creative hobby as a component of one’s identity related to perceived stress, health anxiety, and depressive symptoms. In addition, we wanted to know whether these relationships were moderated by age. Single moderation models suggest that viewing one’s creative hobby as a part of their identity was related to higher health anxiety and reporting more depressive symptoms. In addition, age was related to reporting lower perceived stress, health anxiety, and depressive symptoms. Lastly, age provided a significant moderation effect to the relationship between degree of identity associated with one’s creative hobby and perceived stress such that middle-aged adults with a high degree of identification with their creative hobby reported the most perceived stress while older adults with a high degree of identification with their creative hobby reported the least perceived stress. Implications for older adult’s well-being and adaptiveness to the COVID-19 pandemic will be discussed.

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IMPACT OF SOCIAL SUPPORT AND STRAIN ON DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS: MARITAL STATUS AND GENDER DIFFERENCES

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.3350 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S919-S919

Author(s):

Deborah Carr ◽

Yeonjung Jane Lee

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Older Adults ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Marital Status ◽

Late Life ◽

Well Being ◽

Negatively Associated ◽

Fine Grained ◽

And Gender ◽

The Impact

Abstract Social relationships are a well-established correlate of late-life well-being. Extensive research finds social support is associated with fewer depressive symptoms, yet few studies distinguish fine-grained types of support from spouse, children, other family and friends, nor whether these linkages differ by gender and marital status. Studies exploring coarse associations between support and well-being may conceal gender and marital status differences. We use data from two waves of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS; 2006 and 2010) to study fine-grained linkages between diverse types of relationship strain and support and depressive symptoms (CESD) among adults aged 51+. The results show that the association between support/strain and depressive symptoms varies based on the source of support. For instance, among married/partnered older adults, spousal support is negatively associated with depressive symptoms whereas friend strain is positively associated with depressive symptoms. Among widowed respondents, friend support is negatively associated with depressive symptoms. These marital status patterns differed by gender however, such that the impact of friend strain on depressive symptoms was especially large for divorced men. Our results suggest that no single form of social support (or strain) is uniformly protective (or distressing), so services and interventions to enhance late-life mental health should more fully consider older adults’ social location, including gender and marital status. For current cohorts of older adults, who have lower rates of marriage and childbearing than their predecessors, it is critically important to understand both the levels and impacts of alternative sources of support from other kin and friends.

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Family status and later-life depression among older adults in urban Latin America and the Caribbean

Ageing and Society ◽

10.1017/s0144686x18000879 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 40 (2) ◽

pp. 233-261

Author(s):

Nekehia T. Quashie ◽

Flavia C.D. Andrade

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Latin America ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Marital Status ◽

Latin American ◽

Later Life ◽

Well Being ◽

Parental Status ◽

The Caribbean

AbstractRapid fertility declines in Latin American and Caribbean countries since the 1960s have contributed to smaller family sizes among the current cohorts of older adults. This may have mental health implications in these societies as the family unit is highly valued as a source of social support. Utilising data from the 2000 Survey of Health, Well-being and Aging in Latin America and the Caribbean (SABE), this study examines the association between parental status, marital status and the likelihood of experiencing depressive symptoms among adults 60 years and older in seven cities within Latin America and the Caribbean (N = 9,756): Buenos Aires, Bridgetown, São Paulo, Santiago, Havana, Mexico City and Montevideo. Results from multivariate logistic regressions indicate that parental status is not significantly associated with depressive symptoms. Nonetheless, unmarried older adults, both those living alone and those living with others, are more vulnerable to experiencing depressive symptoms than their married counterparts. Marriage is especially protective for older adults in Havana and Montevideo. Older adults’ perceived income adequacy significantly moderates the relationship between marital status and depressive symptoms. Other significant covariates, such as experiencing disability and comorbidity, showed positive associations with depressive symptoms. While families may still represent a critical component for the mental health of older adults, broader investments in health across the lifespan are needed to improve individual psychological wellbeing.

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Analysis of Self-Concept in Older Adults in Different Contexts

European Journal of Psychological Assessment ◽

10.1027/1015-5759.20.4.262 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 20 (4) ◽

pp. 262-274 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Manuel de Gracia Blanco ◽

Josep Garre Olmo ◽

María Marcó Arbonès ◽

Pilar Monreal Bosch

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Nursing Home ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

External Validity ◽

Aging Process ◽

Well Being ◽

Self Esteem ◽

Self Concept ◽

Self Perceptions ◽

Discriminatory Capacity

Summary: Self-concept is a construct consisting of a group of specific self-perceptions that are hierarchically organized. Age-associated changes of self-concept are related to the individual's perception of the changes occurring throughout the aging process. The authors examined external validity and internal consistency of an instrument that has been developed to assess self-concept in older adults and examined self-concept's characteristics in two different contexts. Results confirm the multidimensionality of the scale and show a satisfactory external validity, indicating good discriminatory capacity. Findings support the hypothesis that older people who live in a nursing home have a poor self-esteem, self-concept, and psychological well-being and have a greater presence of depressive symptoms than people who live in their own home.

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