Abstract
Background
Suffering chronic conditions greatly contribute to mental health problems like depression among older adults. Although an array of literature has focused on this field of study, little research has examined how depression among older adults changes over time or differs from each age group from a developmental and comprehensive view. This longitudinal study provides a holistic understanding of risk and protective factors associated with depression to tailor and provide supportive services for older adults according to their changing needs.
Methods
Utilizing rounds 5–9 of the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), 3,541 older adults were studied. The Transactional Theory of Stress and Coping (TTSC) model was utilized to select predictors. Descriptive analysis was conducted for all predictors, and a Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) was applied to explore and identify the risk and protective factors.
Results
Age, race and ethnicity, self-rated health, number of chronic conditions, cognitive capacity, frequency of negative feelings, self-realization, self-efficacy and resilience, activity participation, and technology use were significantly associated with depression. Furthermore, depression may decrease over time but only happens in a relatively short time, and the extent of decline slows down gradually.
Conclusions
The findings highlight the need to provide support and link resources to caregivers and call for efficient chronic condition management to provide early screening, assessment, and diagnosis. Recommendations from healthcare providers, proper education of healthy lifestyle and the dissemination of related information, and prompting older adults to engage in more physical activities can also make a difference in helping older adults gain better physical and mental health to prevent them from suffering depression.