Age-varying relationships between family support and depressive symptoms in Chinese community-dwelling older adults.
Age
China
Depressive symptoms
Older adults
Social support
Time-varying effects model
Journal
Journal of affective disorders
ISSN: 1573-2517
Titre abrégé: J Affect Disord
Pays: Netherlands
ID NLM: 7906073
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
15 07 2023
15 07 2023
Historique:
received:
10
01
2023
revised:
30
03
2023
accepted:
14
04
2023
medline:
16
5
2023
pubmed:
22
4
2023
entrez:
21
04
2023
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Adequate family support is an important factor in reducing the risk of depressive symptoms in older adults. We aimed to explore the age-varying relationships of family support and depressive symptoms in community-dwelling older adults. A total of 22,163 person-waves of older adults aged 60 to 85 years from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey were included. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Family support was divided into instrumental family support and emotional family support. A Time-Varying Effects Model was utilized to analyze the age-varying relationships. There were age-varying relationships between family support and depressive symptoms in community-dwelling older adults. Around age 70 was an important turning point of age. In instrumental family support, access to living care can reduce the risk of depressive symptoms in almost all age groups. At least medium-level financial support was required to be protective against depressive symptoms, and high-level financial support was necessary after age 70. In emotional family support, meeting children with high frequency was significantly associated with a lower risk of depressive symptoms before age 70. Contacting children with low or medium frequency added the risk of depressive symptoms before age 70. Limited sample size of participants aged 80 years and above, lack of assessment for expectations of family support. Providing the appropriate type and intensity of family support for older adults at a suitable age was encouraged. Future research should further verify and explicate the age-varying relationships longitudinally.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
Adequate family support is an important factor in reducing the risk of depressive symptoms in older adults. We aimed to explore the age-varying relationships of family support and depressive symptoms in community-dwelling older adults.
METHODS
A total of 22,163 person-waves of older adults aged 60 to 85 years from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey were included. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Family support was divided into instrumental family support and emotional family support. A Time-Varying Effects Model was utilized to analyze the age-varying relationships.
RESULTS
There were age-varying relationships between family support and depressive symptoms in community-dwelling older adults. Around age 70 was an important turning point of age. In instrumental family support, access to living care can reduce the risk of depressive symptoms in almost all age groups. At least medium-level financial support was required to be protective against depressive symptoms, and high-level financial support was necessary after age 70. In emotional family support, meeting children with high frequency was significantly associated with a lower risk of depressive symptoms before age 70. Contacting children with low or medium frequency added the risk of depressive symptoms before age 70.
LIMITATIONS
Limited sample size of participants aged 80 years and above, lack of assessment for expectations of family support.
CONCLUSIONS
Providing the appropriate type and intensity of family support for older adults at a suitable age was encouraged. Future research should further verify and explicate the age-varying relationships longitudinally.
Identifiants
pubmed: 37084965
pii: S0165-0327(23)00506-2
doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.04.045
pii:
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
94-101Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts
Conflict of interest No authors report any conflicts of interest.