Mediating Effects of Loneliness on the Associations between Physical Health and Depressive Symptoms among Middle-aged and Older Adults - Multi-group Analysis Across Gender and Age Groups -

2021 ◽  
Vol 73 (2) ◽  
pp. 9-32
Author(s):  
So-Young Park ◽  
Soondool Chung
2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S705-S705
Author(s):  
Jeongwoo Lee ◽  
En-Jung Shon

Abstract A Short form of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS-SF) has been widely used to measure of affect in diverse cultural groups. Limited studies have been evaluated the measurement equivalence test of PANAS-SF in diverse age groups. This study examined whether parameters in the measurement model (two-factor model: positive and negative affect) is equivalent across the two age generations (young-middle aged: <65 years [n=1,122]; older adults : ≥65 years [n=1,817]). The sample was obtained from the 2012 Health and Retirement Study and Multiple Group Analysis was performed. The five items of determined, enthusiastic, inspired, alert, and excited reflected positive affect; and the five items of afraid, upset, scared, nervous, and distressed reflected negative affect. The configural model reported acceptable fit (X2= 904.98 [df = 64, p < .001], X 2/df =14.14, CFI =.93, GFI=.94, RMSEA=.06 [90% CI=.06 - .07]). When all factor loadings were constrained, it indicated measurement non-invariance status between young-middle aged and older adults (ΔX 2 = 56.03, Δdf = 8, p< .001, CFI=.93, ΔCFI=.004). Given findings of non-invariance on the full constrained model, the invariance test of each factor loading was performed additionally. Majority of negative items (Afraid, upset, scared, and nervous) and several positive items (determined and excited) were nonequivalent between the two groups. Variances in the measure between two age groups raise a number of issues for future research on affect assessment, suggesting cautious using of PANAS-SF in older adults.


2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 419-430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Wen Koo ◽  
Kairi Kõlves ◽  
Diego De Leo

ABSTRACTBackground:Globally, suicide rates increase with age, being highest in older adults. This study analyzed differences in suicides in older adults (65 years and over) compared to middle-aged adults (35–64 years) in Queensland, Australia, during the years 2000–2012.Methods:The Queensland Suicide Register was utilized for the analysis. Annual suicide rates were calculated by gender and age group, and odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were examined.Results:In Queensland, the average annual rate of suicides for older adults was 15.27 per 100,000 persons compared to 18.77 in middle-aged adults in 2000–2012. There were no significant changes in time trends for older adults in 2002–2012. Suicide methods differed between gender and age groups. Older adults who died by suicide were more likely to be male, widowed, living alone or in a nursing home, and out of the work force. The prevalence of untreated psychiatric conditions, diagnosed psychiatric disorders, and consultations with a mental health professional three months prior to death was lower in older adults than middle-aged adults. Somatic illness, bereavement, and attention to suicide in the media were more common among older adults than middle-age adults. Older females were particularly more likely to pay attention to suicide in the media.Conclusion:Our findings show older adults who died by suicide were more likely to experience somatic illnesses, bereavement, and pay attention to suicide in the media compared to middle aged. Preventing suicide in older adults would therefore require holistic and comprehensive approaches.


Author(s):  
Johannes Beller ◽  
Enrique Regidor ◽  
Lourdes Lostao ◽  
Alexander Miething ◽  
Christoph Kröger ◽  
...  

Abstract Purpose We examined changes in the burden of depressive symptoms between 2006 and 2014 in 18 European countries across different age groups. Methods We used population-based data drawn from the European Social Survey (N = 64.683, 54% female, age 14–90 years) covering 18 countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Ireland, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland) from 2006 to 2014. Depressive symptoms were measured via the CES-D 8. Generalized additive models, multilevel regression, and linear regression analyses were conducted. Results We found a general decline in CES-D 8 scale scores in 2014 as compared with 2006, with only few exceptions in some countries. This decline was most strongly pronounced in older adults, less strongly in middle-aged adults, and least in young adults. Including education, health and income partially explained the decline in older but not younger or middle-aged adults. Conclusions Burden of depressive symptoms decreased in most European countries between 2006 and 2014. However, the decline in depressive symptoms differed across age groups and was most strongly pronounced in older adults and least in younger adults. Future studies should investigate the mechanisms that contribute to these overall and differential changes over time in depressive symptoms.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Horace Tong ◽  
Wai Kai Hou ◽  
Li Liang ◽  
Tsz Wai Li ◽  
Huinan Liu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background and Objective This study examined the association of loneliness with depressive symptoms across various age groups. Loneliness is a significant risk factor for precipitating depressive symptoms. Rumination, a mechanism that underpins depression, can become intense when a person feels lonely. In addition, age is a major factor associated with changes in mental and physical health. Thus, the importance of rumination and age in moderating the loneliness–depression link were investigated. Research Design and Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted during the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong (February 27 to March 17, 2020). A population-representative sample of 2,018 people (1,126 females; 15–92 years of age) was recruited and interviewed via telephone through random digit dialling. This sample included 394 younger adults (18–30 years), 1,106 middle-aged adults (31–64 years), and 472 older adults (65 years or above). Respondents reported depressive symptoms, subjective loneliness, state rumination, and sociodemographic factors. Results Loneliness and rumination were positively associated with depressive symptoms, and they significantly interacted in predicting cognitive-affective symptoms. Further analysis of age showed that the interaction was only significant only in middle-aged adults and older adults. Both rumination and age interacted with loneliness respectively in predicting cognitive-affective symptoms. Discussion and Implications These findings indicate that the strength of the association between loneliness and the cognitive-affective symptoms of depression depends on rumination levels and age. An intervention to regulate rumination offers a feasible direction for health care and social care aimed at improving older adults’ mental health.


Author(s):  
Juyeong Kim ◽  
Eun-Cheol Park

Background: Given the documented importance of employment for middle-aged and older adults’ mental health, studies of the association between their number of work hours and depressive symptoms are needed. Objectives: To examine the association between the number of work hours and depressive symptoms in Korean aged 45 and over. Methods: We used data from the first wave to fourth wave of the Korea Longitudinal Study of Aging. Using the first wave at baseline, data included 9845 individuals. Depressive symptoms were measured using the 10-item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale. We performed a longitudinal analysis to estimate the prevalence of depressive symptoms by work hours. Results: Both unemployed males and females aged 45–65 years were associated with higher depressive symptoms (β = 0.59, p < 0.001; β = 0.32, p < 0.001). Females working ≥ 69 h were associated with higher depressive symptoms compared to those working 41–68 h (β = 0.25, p = 0.013). Among those both middle-aged and older adults, both males and females unemployed were associated with higher depressive symptoms. Those middle-aged female working ≥69 h were associated with higher depressive symptoms. Conclusions: An increase in depressive symptoms was associated with unemployed males and females working ≥69 h compared to those working 41–68 h. Although this association was found among middle-aged individuals, a decrease in depressive symptoms in both sexes was associated with working 1–40 h. Depressive symptoms should decrease by implementing employment policies and social services to encourage employers to support middle-aged and older adults in the workforce considering their sex and age differences.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 397-397
Author(s):  
Hee Yun Lee ◽  
Eun Young Choi ◽  
Jieun Song ◽  
Jamie Gajos ◽  
Yan Luo

Abstract Opioid overdose risk is particularly high in immigrant communities partly due to limited English proficiency (Guarino et al., 2015). Previous studies reported that social determinants of health (SDH) have been associated with risk for opioid overdose (Dasgupta et al., 2018). The current study examines the association between SDH and literacy of opioid overdose risk among the immigrant population living in a rural area. Specifically, we examine the association in various age groups including young adults (aged 20 to 34), middle-aged (aged 35 to 49), and older adults (ages 50 to 75). Data were drawn from a sample of Korean American immigrants residing in rural Alabama (N=225). The participants administered the Brief Opioid Knowledge (BOOK) Questionnaire (Dunn et al., 2016). Multiple regression analyses were conducted for three age groups to identify predictors of opioid literacy. Overall, older adults had lower levels of opioid literacy relative to their younger counterparts. Among young adults, low English proficiency, more chronic conditions, and greater depressive symptoms were significant predictors of limited opioid literacy. For the middle-aged adults, lower levels of health literacy and more pain symptoms were associated with limited opioid literacy. Among older adults, women, those with higher English proficiency, and lower health literacy had lower levels of opioid literacy. The findings demonstrated a greater vulnerability of older immigrants to limited opioid literacy. Different predictors based on SDH of limited opioid literacy across age groups have implications for tailored health promotion strategies to reduce opioid overdose risk.


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