scholarly journals Childhood familial environment and adulthood depression: evidence from a Chinese population-based study

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 299-316
Author(s):  
Qin Zhou ◽  
Zhichao Yin ◽  
Wei Wu ◽  
Ning Li

Abstract Background Mental disorders have become an important public health issue and evidence is lacking on the impact of childhood experience on adulthood mental health in regions of low and middle income. Using national representative data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, we aimed to explore the impact of childhood familial environment on adulthood depression. Methods A total of 19 485 subjects were interviewed. The survey collected information on demographic variables, variables of childhood familial environment and potential pathway variables, including childhood health status, adulthood physical health status, adulthood social support and adulthood socio-economic status (SES). Depressive symptoms were measured by the 10-item version of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Results Parents’ physical and mental health during the subjects’ childhood were significantly associated with adulthood mental health. Mothers’ smoking, unfair treatment and low family SES were associated with higher depressive symptoms in adulthood. Childhood physical and mental health status, adulthood physical health and adulthood SES might be important mediators in the pathways of childhood familial environment affecting adulthood depressive symptoms. Conclusions This study is the first to explore the relationship of childhood familial environment and adulthood depression in China. The results indicate that parents’ physical and mental health, health behaviour and treatment equity among children a important predictors for adult depression.

2016 ◽  
Vol 101 (9) ◽  
pp. 825-831 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily J Callander

ObjectiveTo quantify the impact of household income, and physical and mental health in adolescence on education attainment, household income and health status in adulthood.DesignPath analysis and regression models using waves 1–12 of theHousehold, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australiasurvey.ParticipantsIndividuals aged 17 or 18 in 2001, 52% were males (n=655) and 48% were female (52%). Of those participating in wave 1, five did not respond in wave 12.Main outcome measuresEducation attainment, household income, physical and mental health at age 29/30.ResultsFor females, physical health at age 17/18 was significantly related to level of education attainment at age 29/30 (standardised total effect 0.290, p<0.001), with this influence being greater in magnitude than that of household income at age 17/18 on level of education attainment at age 29/30 (standardised total effect 0.159, p=0.022). Females' physical health at age 17/18 was also significantly related to household income at age 29/30 (standardised total effect 0.09, p=0.018). Both adjusted for initial household income at age 17/18. For males, the total standardised total effect of physical health at age 17/18 had a greater impact than household income at age 17/18 on education attainment at age 29/30 (0.347, p<0.001 for physical health and 0.276, p<0.001 for household income). The OR of achieving a year 12 or higher level of education attainment was 4.72 (95% CI 1.43 to 15.58, p=0.0110) for females with good physical health at age 17/18 and 5.05 (95% CI 1.78 to 14.36, p=0.0024) for males, compared with those with poor physical health at age 17/18.ConclusionsAs physical health in adolescence appears to have a stronger influence on education attainment in adulthood than household income, equity strategies for education attainment should also target those with poor health.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 458-458
Author(s):  
Yuqin Jiao ◽  
Nathaniel Riggs ◽  
Loriena Yancura ◽  
Aimee Fox ◽  
Christine Fruhauf

Abstract An estimated 69.5 million older adults in the United States report being grandparents. It is also evident that the number of grandparents raising grandchildren among them is increasing. Although caring for their grandchildren often provides grandparents a sense of purpose and increased life satisfaction, unexpected responsibilities of parenting worsen the already challenging experience of aging (e.g., potential for poor physical and mental health). Thus, it is essential to study the well-being of grandparents raising grandchildren. Links between depressive symptoms and emotional health have been widely studied in previous research. However, limited research has focused on physical health as a potential moderator, despite indirect evidence shown that more depressive symptoms may be observed among those with worse physical health conditions. To address this, we used Optum® SF-36v2® Health Survey to collect physical- and mental-health data and Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D-10) to collect information on depressive symptoms in 137 grandparents raising grandchildren (age 40-83) before, immediately after, and six months after a six-week intervention focused on self-care practices. The presence of more depressive symptoms indicated worse emotional health. Physical health moderated these associations at all three time points, such that depressive symptoms were less strongly related to emotional health if grandparents self-reported better physical-health scores. These findings have important implications for future intervention studies. The importance of good physical health practices for grandparents raising grandchildren is evident, including increased physical engagement and better pain management.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. e0245489
Author(s):  
Yuri Sasaki ◽  
Yugo Shobugawa ◽  
Ikuma Nozaki ◽  
Daisuke Takagi ◽  
Yuiko Nagamine ◽  
...  

Low objective socioeconomic status (SES) has been correlated with poor physical and mental health among older adults. Some studies suggest that subjective SES is also important for ensuring sound physical and mental health among older adults. However, few studies have been conducted on the impact of both objective and subjective SES on mental health among older adults. This study examines whether objective or subjective SES is associated with depressive symptoms in older adults in Myanmar. This cross-sectional study, conducted between September and December, 2018, used a multistage sampling method to recruit participants from two regions of Myanmar, for face-to-face interviews. The Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) was used to evaluate the depressive symptoms. Participants were classified as having no depressive symptom (GDS score <5) and having depressive symptoms (GDS score ≥5). Objective and subjective SES were assessed using the wealth index and asking participants a multiple-choice question about their current financial situation, respectively. The relationship between objective/subjective SES and depressive symptoms was examined using a multivariable logistic regression analysis. The mean age of the 1,186 participants aged 60 years and above was 69.7 (SD: 7.3), and 706 (59.5%) were female. Among them, 265 (22.3%) had depressive symptoms. After adjusting for objective SES and other covariates, only low subjective SES was positively associated with depressive symptoms (adjusted odds ratio, AOR: 4.18, 95% confidence interval, CI: 2.98–5.87). This association was stronger among participants in the rural areas (urban areas, AOR: 2.10, 95% CI: 1.08–4.05; rural areas, AOR: 5.65, 95% CI: 3.69–8.64). Subjective SES has a stronger association with depressive symptoms than objective SES, among older adults of the two regions in Myanmar, especially in the rural areas. Interventions for depression in older adults should consider regional differences in the context of subjective SES by reducing socioeconomic disparities among the communities.


Author(s):  
Sung-Joo Yoon

This study analyzes the dynamic interaction of an individual’s physical and mental health using the German Socio-Economic Panel and the Cross-National Equivalent File of Germany. Its main objective is to find a way to reduce people’s health expenditure by examining the magnitude of the interdependence between physical and mental health. For the analysis, this study develops a dynamic correlated random effects model. We create two aggregate health measures (aggregate physical health and aggregate mental health) with four submeasures each, which provides a better understanding of changes in an individual’s health status by capturing additional information that cannot be analyzed at the aggregate level. There is clear evidence that the persistence of a mental health condition is less than that of a physical health condition. Moreover, the impact of previous mental health on current physical health is greater than that of previous physical health on current mental health. This suggests that individuals can reduce their expenditures on physical health problems by focusing on the treatment of mental problems when they first arise. Finally, the Government’s attention and support toward mental health care would lead to a reduction in health expenditures and eventually improve the sustainability of the nation’s health system.


Author(s):  
Robert Brackbill ◽  
Howard Alper ◽  
Patricia Frazier ◽  
Lisa Gargano ◽  
Melanie Jacobson ◽  
...  

Fifteen years after the disaster, the World Trade Center Health Registry (Registry) conducted The Health and Quality of Life Survey (HQoL) assessing physical and mental health status among those who reported sustaining an injury on 11 September 2001 compared with non-injured persons. Summary scores derived from the Short Form-12 served as study outcomes. United States (US) population estimates on the Physical Component Score (PCS-12) and Mental Component Score (MCS-12) were compared with scores from the HQoL and were stratified by Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and injury status. Linear regression models were used to estimate the association between both injury severity and PTSD and PCS-12 and MCS-12 scores. Level of injury severity and PTSD history significantly predicted poorer physical health (mean PCS-12). There was no significant difference between injury severity level and mental health (mean MCS-12). Controlling for other factors, having PTSD symptoms after 9/11 predicted a nearly 10-point difference in mean MCS-12 compared with never having PTSD. Injury severity and PTSD showed additive effects on physical and mental health status. Injury on 9/11 and a PTSD history were each associated with long-term decrements in physical health status. Injury did not predict long-term decrements in one’s mental health status. Although it is unknown whether physical wounds of the injury healed, our results suggest that traumatic injuries appear to have a lasting negative effect on perceived physical functioning.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S215-S215
Author(s):  
Maria Monserud

Abstract Studies in developed countries indicate that social activities can make a difference in mental health in later life. Yet, research on potential benefits of social activities for older adults in developing countries, including Mexico, has been scarce. This study uses the two most recent waves (2012, 2015) of the Mexican Health and Aging Study to investigate the impact of social activities on depressive symptoms among older men (n = 4, 749) and women (n = 6,527), aged 50+, in Mexico. The results of Ordinary Least Squares regressions indicate that it is important to differentiate among specific social activities in later life. Particularly, not only group-based but also solitary social activities were predictive of better mental health. Moreover, the findings demonstrate several gender differences and similarities. Participation in clubs, communication with relatives and friends, physical exercise, and watching television were beneficial for mental health among men, whereas volunteering, playing games, and making crafts were associated with fewer depressive symptoms among women. At the same time, reading as well as doing household chores were related to better mental health among older Mexicans, regardless of gender. Furthermore, this study shows that self-reported health, functional limitations, chronic conditions, and frequent pain might shape the implications of social activities for depressive symptoms among older adults in Mexico. The insights from this study can be helpful for intervention programs that are being developed to promote benefits of group-based and solitary social activities for mental health among older men and women with different levels of physical health.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-128
Author(s):  
Kirill Kosilov ◽  
Hiroki Amedzawa ◽  
Irina Kuzina ◽  
Vladimir Kuznetsov ◽  
Liliya Kosilova

Aim: The study of the impact of socio-economic, demographic factors and polymorbidity on the quality of life associated with health (HRQoL) in elderly people from Japan and Russia. Background: Factors affecting the quality of life of the elderly in both countries are poorly understood. Objective: Make a comparative analysis of factors affecting the quality of life of the elderly of both sexes in Japan and Russia. Methods: The age range in this study is 65-95 years old. For the study of HRQoL, a questionnaire Health Status Survey-Short Form 36v2 was used, including two main domains: physical and mental health. The level of polymorbidity was studied using CIRS-G. The linear regression model of the influence of variables upon HRQoL was calculated for SES, demographic characteristics, and morbidity. Results: Strong associations with HRQoL in the combined sample had a living together with relatives (r=6.94 (5.17-8.72) p<0,05), the incidence rate (r=8.50 (5.51-11.49), p<0.01) and the older age (r=5.39 (2.63-8.16), p<0,01.). The elderly inhabitants of Japan had a higher self-assessment for physical health in the age ranges 65-74 and over 85 years old (p<0.05), and a higher selfassessment of mental health at the age of 75-84 years old. Sixty-eight elderly Japanese and 48% Russians estimated their physical health as normal. Conclusion: The effect of living together, morbidity and age upon HRQoL is manifested equally strongly both among the inhabitants of Japan and among the Russians. The elderly Japanese estimate the state of physical and mental health as a whole higher than their Russian peers.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S278-S279
Author(s):  
Jennifer Y M Tang ◽  
Cheryl Chui ◽  
Tuen Yi Chiu ◽  
Rebecca Chiu ◽  
Vivian W Lou ◽  
...  

Abstract Previous research that studies the impact of built environment on health often attribute the enabling effects of environment on physical activity participation and opportunities for social interaction. Few studies have explored how the role of subjective feeling, such as the feeling of connectedness with the community, affects the association between built environment and physical and mental health. We conducted a cross-sectional survey with 2,247 residents aged 50 years or above in five districts in Hong Kong. We tested the mediation effect of sense of community in the relationship between physical environment and health using the path analysis. We administered a questionnaire to assess the residents’ perceived age-friendliness of outdoor spaces and buildings in the district. We used the Brief Sense of Community Scale and the 12-item Short-form Health Survey to measure sense of community and physical and mental health. We found that age-friendliness of outdoor spaces was modestly correlated with mental health (r = 0.10, P &lt; 0.001) but not with physical health (r = 0.02, P = 0.4), whereas age-friendliness of buildings correlated with both (r = 0.05, P = 0.01; r = 0.06, P = 0.004). Sense of community mediated 25.9% of the total effect between outdoor space and physical health, 20.4% between outdoor space and mental health, and 42.5% between service and building on physical health. To conclude, sense of community was a partial mediator of the environment-health relationship. Future design of built environment should take into consideration its potential influence on sense of community and health.


2019 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 427-448
Author(s):  
Megan S. Paceley ◽  
Jessica N. Fish ◽  
Margaret M. C. Thomas ◽  
Jacob Goffnett

Sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth experience high rates of victimization leading to health disparities. Community size and community climate are associated with health outcomes among SGM youth; however, we lack studies that include them as covariates alongside victimization to understand their collective impact on health. This study utilized minority stress theory to understand how community context shapes experiences of victimization and health among SGM youth. SGM youth in one Midwestern U.S. state completed an online survey ( n = 201) with measures of physical health, mental health, community context, and victimization. Data were analyzed via multiple regression using a path analysis framework. Results indicate that perceived climate was associated with mental, but not physical, health; Community size was unrelated to health outcomes. Victimization mediated the association between community climate and mental health. Findings are discussed in light of current literature and implications for research and practice are shared.


Author(s):  
Humayun Kabir ◽  
Myfanwy Maple ◽  
Kim Usher

Abstract This paper describes the potential impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the readymade garment (RMG) workers of Bangladesh. It articulates the RMG workers’ existing vulnerability during the COVID-19 pandemic based on currently available evidence and personal conversations/communications with RMG workers. COVID-19 has already impacted RMG workers’ health (both physical and mental health status) and wellbeing, and resulted in loss of employment. We argue that the COVID-19 pandemic will have long-lasting effects on the garment workers, especially related to their health issues, financial hardship and inability to pay for essentials such as food, and future employment opportunities. The stakeholders (such as the international retailers/brands, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, Government of Bangladesh) responsible for the global supply chain RMG factories should reconsider the health and overall wellbeing needs of the RMG workers during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.


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