A comparative study of negative life events and depressive symptoms among healthy older adults and older adults with chronic disease

2017 ◽  
Vol 63 (8) ◽  
pp. 699-707 ◽  
Author(s):  
Han Zhang ◽  
Tingting Gao ◽  
Jinglei Gao ◽  
Yixi Kong ◽  
Yueyang Hu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Chronic Disease ◽  
Comparative Study ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Negative Life Events ◽  
Healthy Older Adults

The associations between family characteristics and depressive symptoms in older adults: a community-based survey in rural China

2012 ◽  
Vol 24 (8) ◽  
pp. 1226-1234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanhong Gong ◽  
Xiaopiao Wen ◽  
Chaoping Guan ◽  
Zhiqing Wang ◽  
Yuan Liang
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Rural China ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Negative Life Events ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Family Characteristics ◽  
Negative Life Event ◽  
The Past

ABSTRACTBackground: The aim of the current study was to investigate the associations between family characteristics and depressive symptoms, and provide new evidence and recommendations for prevention and intervention in the depressive symptoms of older adults.Methods: The study was a cross-sectional survey conducted door-to-door, utilizing a sample of 1,317 individuals aged 60 years and above in rural China. The five family characteristic variables recorded were: living with spouse, living with descendant, support of family members, self-reported family economic status in the previous year, and family-related negative life events that occurred anytime in the past with a continuous psychological effect during the past 12 months. Gender, age, years of schooling, and self-rated physical health status were taken as potential confounders. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine independent effects on depressive symptoms.Results: In addition to the potential confounders, only family-related negative life events, support of family members, and self-reported family economic status had significant effects on depressive symptoms in older adults. Experiencing a family-related negative life event was the most significant variable (OR = 11.70, 95% CI: 7.72–17.73), the second was support of family members (OR = 6.93, 95% CI: 3.26–14.70), while family economic status was less important than support of family members (OR = 2.38, 95% CI: 1.08–5.25).Conclusion: This study, from the perspective of family characteristics on depressive symptoms in older adults, showed a strong correlation between being exposed to harmful family environments and depressive symptoms among the elderly. Efforts to address family risk factors and strengthen family cohesiveness deserve a higher priority, given the importance of these factors, compared with other efforts such as promoting economic development.

scholarly journals Negative Life Events, Social Ties, and Depressive Symptoms for Older Adults in China

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 580-580
Author(s):  
Hangqing Ruan ◽  
Feinian Chen
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Social Ties ◽  
Negative Life Events ◽  
Old Age Support ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
Different Types

Abstract Negative life events are considered important risk factors of depression among older adults. An overwhelming amount of literature suggests that individuals with the most supportive social relations tend to make a better recovery from stressful life events. As for which types of ties matter the most, whether being family, relatives, friends or the broader community, existing literature is much less consistent and has documented varying effects across different contexts. This study is set in China, which traditionally relies on family systems and filial obligations for old-age support. Using two waves of data from China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey, we examine the protective effect of different types of social relations on depressive symptoms, including those who are living in the household, children who live close by or far away, as well as their ties with family, relatives, and friends.

scholarly journals Which categories of social and lifestyle activities moderate the association between negative life events and depressive symptoms among community-dwelling older adults in Japan?

2011 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 307-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuriko Katsumata ◽  
Asuna Arai ◽  
Kozo Ishida ◽  
Masashi Tomimori ◽  
Romeo B. Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Interpersonal Relationships ◽  
Negative Life Events ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Significant Variable ◽  
Human Relationships ◽  
Lifestyle Activities

ABSTRACTBackground: Social and lifestyle activities may serve as potential moderators of the association between negative life events (NLEs) and depressive symptoms among older adults. In this study, we examined whether social and lifestyle activities moderate the association between NLEs and depressive symptoms among older adults, and which activities are significant moderators.Methods: The data came from a community-based sample of non-institutionalized adults aged 65 years or older. Of the 731 eligible older adults, 682 completed the Japanese version of the 30-item Geriatric Depression Scale. We measured 15 specific negative life events as well as 17 social and lifestyle activities which were grouped into four categories.Results: Specific NLEs pertaining to human relationships, physical condition and financial status were all or were mostly associated with depressive symptoms. Significant moderating roles of social and lifestyle activities on the association of NLEs with depressive symptoms were observed between “loss of a significant other” and “contact with family members and friends” (β = −0.282, SE = 0.091, p = 0.002); “change in human relationships” and “contact with family members and friends” (β = −0.270, SE = 0.137, p = 0.048); and “change in human relationships” and “community involvement” (β = −0.344, SE = 0.133, p = 0.010).Conclusions: The most statistically significant variable moderating the associations between negative life events and depressive symptoms was “having frequent contact with family members”. Depressive symptoms arising from troublesome interpersonal relationships in one's proximal network might be moderated by positive interpersonal relationships.

scholarly journals Depressive symptoms and time perspective in older adults: associations beyond personality and negative life events

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (12) ◽  
pp. 1674-1683 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabeth Åström ◽  
Michael Rönnlund ◽  
Rolf Adolfsson ◽  
Maria Grazia Carelli
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Time Perspective ◽  
Negative Life Events

scholarly journals Steeling or sensitizing? A longitudinal examination of how ongoing accumulation of negative life events affects depressive symptoms in older adults

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Almar A L Kok ◽  
Jos W R Twisk ◽  
Fenneke Blom ◽  
Aartjan T F Beekman ◽  
Martijn Huisman
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Multilevel Models ◽  
Negative Life Events ◽  
Interaction Effects ◽  
Severity Scores ◽  
Measurement Wave ◽  
Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam ◽  
Aging Study

Abstract Objectives To examine whether: 1) as people age, accumulation of negative events increases (‘sensitizing’) or decreases (‘steeling’) the detrimental effects of subsequent events on depressive symptoms, and 2) how particular psychosocial factors are associated with the strength of these steeling or sensitizing effects. Method We used data from six measurement waves from 2,069 adults aged 55-84 (M=68.0) at baseline in the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam, the Netherlands. We included 18 different life events across the life course. Using hybrid multilevel models, we tested whether the effects of proximate life events (<3 years) on depressive symptoms (measured by the CES-D) were moderated by previous cumulative events (childhood until previous measurement wave). Additionally, we tested whether education, mastery, emotional support, neuroticism, having strong faith, and loneliness were associated with the strength of steeling/sensitizing effects. Results Cumulative and proximate life events were independently associated with more depressive symptoms. Interaction effects indicated that the more cumulative life events, the weaker the effects of recent life events, suggesting a ‘steeling’ effect. Unexpectedly, three-way interaction effects showed that higher mastery and lower neuroticism were associated with weaker steeling effects. These effects were predominantly attributable to within-person changes rather than to fixed between-person differences. Results from analyses with event severity scores were similar. Conclusions As a population, older adults appear to become more resilient against new stressors as they accumulate experience in dealing with negative life events. Findings on mastery tentatively suggest that accepting limits to one’s own control over life circumstances may foster a steeling effect.

Ethnic Variables and Negative Life Events as Predictors of Depressive Symptoms and Suicidal Behaviors in Latino College Students

2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 206-221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward C. Chang ◽  
Elizabeth A. Yu ◽  
Tina Yu ◽  
Emma R. Kahle ◽  
Viviana Hernandez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Negative Life Events ◽  
Latino College Students ◽  
Suicidal Behaviors

scholarly journals Every Night and Every Morn: Effect of Variation in CLOCK Gene on Depression Depends on Exposure to Early and Recent Stress

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorka Gyorik ◽  
Nora Eszlari ◽  
Zsofia Gal ◽  
Dora Torok ◽  
Daniel Baksa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Linkage Disequilibrium ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Negative Life Events ◽  
Population Sample ◽  
Brief Symptom Inventory ◽  
Additive Models ◽  
Outcome Variable ◽  
Childhood Adversities ◽  
Increased Risk

The role of circadian dysregulation is increasingly acknowledged in the background of depressive symptoms, and is also a promising treatment target. Similarly, stress shows a complex relationship with the circadian system. The CLOCK gene, encoding a key element in circadian regulation has been implicated in previous candidate variant studies in depression with contradictory findings, and only a few such studies considered the interacting effects of stress. We investigated the effect of CLOCK variation with a linkage-disequilibrium-based clumping method, in interaction with childhood adversities and recent negative life events, on two phenotypes of depression, lifetime depression and current depressive symptoms in a general population sample.Methods: Participants in NewMood study completed questionnaires assessing childhood adversities and recent negative life events, the Brief Symptom Inventory to assess current depressive symptoms, provided data on lifetime depression, and were genotyped for 1054 SNPs in the CLOCK gene, 370 of which survived quality control and were entered into linear and logistic regression models with current depressive symptoms and lifetime depression as the outcome variable, and childhood adversities or recent life events as interaction variables followed by a linkage disequilibrium-based clumping process to identify clumps of SNPs with a significant main or interaction effect.Results: No significant clumps with a main effect were found. In interaction with recent life events a significant clump containing 94 SNPs with top SNP rs6825994 for dominant and rs6850524 for additive models on current depression was identified, while in interaction with childhood adversities on current depressive symptoms, two clumps, both containing 9 SNPs were found with top SNPs rs6828454 and rs711533.Conclusion: Our findings suggest that CLOCK contributes to depressive symptoms, but via mediating the effects of early adversities and recent stressors. Given the increasing burden on circadian rhythmicity in the modern lifestyle and our expanding insight into the contribution of circadian disruption in depression especially as a possible mediator of stress, our results may pave the way for identifying those who would be at an increased risk for depressogenic effects of circadian dysregulation in association with stress as well as new molecular targets for intervention in stress-related psychopathologies in mood disorders.

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