Optimism and depressive symptoms following a diabetes diagnosis: Results from the Health and Retirement Study

Diabetes Diagnosis ◽

Depression is common among individuals with diabetes and contributes to poorer prognoses. Optimism is associated with enhanced mental health. Therefore, this study tested whether optimism buffered against increases in depressive symptoms following a diabetes diagnosis. Participants were drawn from the Health and Retirement Study ( n = 328, Mage = 65.8). Optimism, assessed before diagnosis, was inversely associated with depressive symptoms within 2 ( B = −.30, p = .004, Δ R2 = .02) and 6 ( B = −.29, p = .008, Δ R2 = .02) years of a diabetes diagnosis. Results suggest that optimism is a protective factor for comorbid depressive symptoms.

Short-Term Mental Health Sequelae of Bereavement Predict Long-Term Physical Health Decline in Older Adults: U.S. Health and Retirement Study Analysis

The Journals of Gerontology Series B ◽

10.1093/geronb/gbaa044 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Benjamin W Domingue ◽

Laramie Duncan ◽

Amal Harrati ◽

Daniel W Belsky

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Physical Health ◽

Poor Mental Health ◽

Spousal Death ◽

Health Decline ◽

Abstract Objectives Spousal death is a common late-life event with health-related sequelae. Evidence linking poor mental health to disease suggests the hypothesis that poor mental health following death of a spouse could be a harbinger of physical health decline. Thus, identification of bereavement-related mental health symptoms could provide an opportunity for prevention. Methods We analyzed data from N = 39,162 individuals followed from 1994 to 2016 in the U.S. Health and Retirement Study; N = 5,061 were widowed during follow-up. We tested change in mental and physical health from prebereavement through the 5 years following spousal death. Results Bereaved spouses experienced an increase in depressive symptoms following their spouses’ deaths but the depressive shock attenuated within 1 year. Bereaved spouses experienced increases in disability, chronic-disease morbidity, and hospitalization, which grew in magnitude over time, especially among older respondents. Bereaved spouses were at increased risk of death compared to nonbereaved respondents. The magnitude of depressive symptoms in the immediate aftermath of spousal death predicted physical-health decline and mortality risk over 5 years of follow-up. Discussion Bereavement-related depressive symptoms indicate a risk for physical health decline and death in older adults. Screening for depressive symptoms in bereaved older adults may represent an opportunity for intervention to preserve healthy life span.

The Black-White Mental Health Paradox Among Older Adults: Evidence From the Health and Retirement Study

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.1935 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 581-581

Author(s):

Lauren Brown

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Older Adulthood ◽

Middle Aged Adults ◽

Stress And Health ◽

Everyday Discrimination ◽

Health Paradox ◽

Abstract Most studies of middle-aged adults find blacks have higher levels of psychological distress compared to whites but have lower risk of common psychiatric disorders. For instance, there is evidence of lower rates of depressive and anxiety disorders among blacks relative to whites despite large disparities in stress, discrimination and physical health in midlife—commonly referred to as the black-white mental health paradox. We examine evidence of the black-white paradox in anxiety and depressive symptoms among older adults. Data come from 6,019 adults ages 52+ from the 2006 Health and Retirement Study. Unadjusted models show older blacks report more anxiety and depressive symptoms than whites. After adjusting for socioeconomic factors, everyday discrimination, chronic conditions, and chronic stress, there are no black-white differences in anxiety and depressive symptoms. Findings suggest the black-white mental health paradox only extends into older adulthood for blacks living under similar stress and health landscapes as whites.

Longitudinal Associations between Internalizing Symptoms, Dispositional Mindfulness, Rumination and Impulsivity in Adolescents

Journal of Youth and Adolescence ◽

10.1007/s10964-021-01476-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Estíbaliz Royuela-Colomer ◽

Liria Fernández-González ◽

Izaskun Orue

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Internalizing Symptoms ◽

Protective Factor ◽

Negative Association ◽

Dispositional Mindfulness ◽

Vulnerability Factors ◽

Time Points ◽

Longitudinal Associations ◽

One Year

AbstractMindfulness has been associated with fewer negative mental health symptoms during adolescence, but fewer studies have examined longitudinal associations between mindfulness and symptoms in conjunction with two vulnerability factors for psychopathology with mindfulness: rumination and impulsivity. This study examined longitudinal associations between internalizing symptoms (depression, anxiety, stress), mindfulness, rumination, and impulsivity over a one-year period among 352 Spanish adolescents (57.4% girls; M = 14.47, SD = 1.34). Participants completed self-reported measures of symptoms, mindfulness, rumination, and impulsivity at two time points. Mindfulness negatively predicted stress and depressive symptoms, and a bidirectional negative association was found between mindfulness and impulsivity. Impulsivity positively predicted stress, and anxiety positively predicted depressive symptoms, stress, and rumination. This study highlights the importance of mindfulness as a protective factor and impulsivity and anxiety as risk factors for internalizing symptoms throughout adolescence. These findings build on previous studies that examined longitudinal associations between mindfulness and symptoms by including rumination and impulsivity’s roles.

EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS: DOES GENDER MATTER?

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.3389 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S931-S931

Author(s):

Celeste Beaulieu ◽

Jeffrey E Stokes

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Gender Differences ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Social Engagement ◽

Later Life ◽

Well Being ◽

Self Esteem ◽

Self Concept ◽

Everyday Activities ◽

Abstract Previous research has suggested that informal socializing can be beneficial for mental health, whereas prior findings concerning solitary activities and mental health have been equivocal. Activity theory posits that involvement in activities – particularly social activities – can improve adults’ self-concept and self-esteem, leading to improved well-being. Solitary activities may perform the same function, though without any social reinforcement. However, social engagement and mental health may both vary by gender. Thus, we examined associations of informal socializing and solitary activities with depressive symptoms among 13,387 respondents of the 2012/2014 waves of the Health and Retirement Study, and further assessed potential gender differences. Results revealed that both informal socializing and solitary activities were significantly associated with lower depressive symptoms when analyzed separately. However, when both types of activities were modeled simultaneously, only informal socializing remained significant. Further, stratified analyses revealed that informal socializing was a significant predictor of depressive symptoms among women but not men, although these coefficients were not significantly different from each other. Overall, findings suggest that both informal socializing and solitary activities may be beneficial for mental health, yet results were clearly stronger for informal socializing. Socializing may benefit mental health not only by bolstering one’s self-concept, but also by linking adults with social ties and support networks that are instrumental for well-being in mid- and later life. Moreover, gender differences in effects were minimal and largely non-significant, indicating that activity involvement can bolster mental health for men and women alike.

Genetic heterogeneity in depressive symptoms following the death of a spouse: Polygenic score analysis of the US Health and Retirement Study

10.1101/065847 ◽

2016 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Benjamin W. Domingue ◽

Hexuan Liu ◽

Aysu Okbay ◽

Daniel W. Belsky

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Life Stress ◽

Genome Wide Association Study ◽

The United States ◽

Polygenic Score ◽

Polygenic Scores ◽

AbstractExperience of stressful life events is associated with risk of depression. Yet many exposed individuals do not become depressed. A controversial hypothesis is that genetic factors influence vulnerability to depression following stress. This hypothesis is most commonly tested with a “diathesis-stress” model, in which genes confer excess vulnerability. We tested an alternative model, in which genes may buffer against the depressogenic effects of life stress. We measured the hypothesized genetic buffer using a polygenic score derived from a published genome-wide association study (GWAS) of subjective wellbeing. We tested if married older adults who had higher polygenic scores were less vulnerable to depressive symptoms following the death of their spouse as compared to age-peers who had also lost their spouse and who had lower polygenic scores. We analyzed data from N=9,453 non-Hispanic white adults in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a population-representative longitudinal study of older adults in the United States. HRS adults with higher wellbeing polygenic scores experienced fewer depressive symptoms during follow-up. Those who survived death of their spouses during follow-up (n=1,829) experienced a sharp increase in depressive symptoms following the death and returned toward baseline over the following two years. Having a higher polygenic score buffered against increased depressive symptoms following a spouse's death. Effects were small and clinical relevance is uncertain, although polygenic score analyses may provide clues to behavioral pathways that can serve as therapeutic targets. Future studies of gene-environment interplay in depression may benefit from focus on genetics discovered for putative protective factors.

Older Age and Other Protective Factors of Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the US

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.2683 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 725-725

Author(s):

Kelly Smith ◽

Amanda Chappell ◽

Rachael Spalding ◽

Jenna Wilson ◽

Ilana Haliwa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Coping Strategies ◽

Protective Factor ◽

Secondary Data ◽

Older Age ◽

Self Report ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Protective Behaviors ◽

Age Related

Abstract Research conducted early in the COVID-19 pandemic (i.e., March 2020) suggested that older adults were less likely to experience negative pandemic-related mental health than younger people. We investigated whether this age-related advantage persisted during the July 2020 spike in COVID-19 cases and investigated links between coping strategies and mental health. We used data from the Understanding America Study (UAS) to conduct a secondary data analysis of participants (N = 5,753) aged 18-110 years (M=46.20, SD=12.88) who completed online self-report surveys twice—once immediately prior to the July spike in cases, and again during the spike. Surveys assessed engagement in protective behaviors (e.g., wearing a mask, washing hands), coping strategies (e.g., calling family/friends, getting extra exercise, meditating), and anxiety and depressive symptoms (using the Patient Health Questionnaire PHQ-4). Multiple regression analyses were used to identify predictors of anxiety and depression during the spike, controlling for previous anxiety and depression, race, ethnicity, income, education, and marital status. Older age and engaging in protective behaviors were associated with less anxiety, whereas coping by calling family/friends was associated with more symptoms, R2 = .71, F(16, 5736) = 885.90, p < .001. Coping by calling and getting extra exercise were associated with fewer depressive symptoms, whereas coping by using social media was associated with more symptoms, R2 = .72, F(16, 5736) = 906.65, p < .001. These findings highlight age as a protective factor for anxiety but not for depression and underscore the importance of social support as a protective factor for mental health.

BLACK-WHITE DIFFERENCES IN CHRONIC STRESS: DOES APPRAISAL MATTER FOR ANXIETY AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS?

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.688 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S191-S192

Author(s):

Lauren Brown ◽

Leah Abrams ◽

Uchechi Mitchell ◽

Jennifer Ailshire

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Disparities ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Stressful Events ◽

Stress Exposure ◽

Stress Appraisal ◽

Older Adulthood ◽

Health Burden ◽

Blacks And Whites ◽

Abstract Prior research has suggested that exposure to objectively stressful events contributes to mental health disparities in older adulthood. Yet, in order to understand the extent to which some groups bear a disproportionate stress and mental health burden, we consider black-white differences in not only stress exposure, but also stress appraisal—how upsetting the exposures are perceived to be across five domains (health, financial, residential, relationship and caregiving). Data come from 6,019 adults ages 52+ from the 2006 Health and Retirement Study. Fully adjusted models show stress exposure and appraisal significantly and independently predicted anxiety and depressive symptoms. Race and stress exposure interactions show that exposure differently predicts anxiety and depressive symptoms while race and appraisal interactions show blacks and whites report similar increases in anxiety and depressive symptoms. Findings suggest stress exposure has varying consequences for mental health of whites and blacks, while stress appraisals have similar consequences across groups.