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Conditions for pets to prevent depression in older adults
- Authors:
- CHEUNG Chau-Kiu, KAM Ping Kwong
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 22(12), 2018, pp.1627-1633.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Objective: The study aims to determine if and how pet availability and engagement predicted depression in older adults. The prediction can be unconditional or independent of the sociodemographic characteristics of the older adult and/or conditional or dependent on the characteristics. These predictions rest on the contribution of resources pooled from older adults, their spouses, and pets, according to ecological theory. Method: The present study analyzed the effects of pet availability and engagement based on a survey of 340 older adults in Hong Kong, China. Results: Pet engagement but not pet availability manifested a significant negative effect on depression unconditionally. In addition, pet availability and engagement indicated some significant negative effects conditionally, including living with the spouse as a condition. Conclusion: For preventing depression in older adults, promoting their pet availability and engagement is promising. Particularly, the promotion would be more effective for older adults living with their spouses and being more resourceful than for others. (Publisher abstract)
Persistent depressive symptoms and cognitive decline in older adults
- Authors:
- ZHENG Fanfan, et al
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Psychiatry, 213(5), 2018, pp.638-644.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
Background: Little is known about the effect of persistent depressive symptoms on the trajectory of cognitive decline. Aims: The authors aimed to investigate the longitudinal association between the duration of depressive symptoms and subsequent cognitive decline over a 10-year follow-up period. Method: The English Longitudinal Study of Ageing cohort is a prospective and nationally representative cohort of men and women living in England aged ≥50 years. 7610 participants with two assessments of depressive symptoms at wave 1 (2002–2003) and wave 2 (2004–2005), cognitive data at wave 2 and at least one reassessment of cognitive function (wave 3 to wave 7, 2006–2007 to 2014–2015), were examined. Results: The mean age of the 7610 participants was 65.2 ± 10.1 years, and 57.0% were women. Of these, 1157 (15.2%) participants had episodic depressive symptoms and 525 participants (6.9%) had persistent depressive symptoms. Compared with participants without depressive symptoms at wave 1 and wave 2, the multivariable-adjusted rates of global cognitive decline associated with episodic depressive symptoms and persistent depressive symptoms were faster by –0.065 points/year (95% CI –0.129 to –0.000) and –0.141 points/year (95% CI –0.236 to –0.046), respectively (P for trend < 0.001). Similarly, memory, executive and orientation function also declined faster with increasing duration of depressive symptoms (all P for trend < 0.05). Conclusions: The results demonstrated that depressive symptoms were significantly associated with subsequent cognitive decline over a 10-year follow-up period. Cumulative exposure of long-term depressive symptoms in elderly individuals could predict accelerated subsequent cognitive decline in a dose-response pattern. (Edited publisher abstract)
Does a physical activity program in the nursing home impact on depressive symptoms? A generalized linear mixed-model approach
- Authors:
- DIEGELMANN Mona, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 22(6), 2018, pp.784-793.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Objectives: Physical activity (PA) may counteract depressive symptoms in nursing home (NH) residents considering biological, psychological, and person-environment transactional pathways. Empirical results, however, have remained inconsistent. This studyexamined the effect of a whole-ecology PA intervention program on NH residents’ depressive symptoms using generalized linear mixed-models (GLMMs). Method: The study used longitudinal data from residents of two German NHs who were included without any pre-selection regarding physical and mental functioning (n = 163, Mage = 83.1, 53–100 years; 72% female) and assessed on four occasions each three months apart. Residents willing to participate received a 12-week PA training program. Afterwards, the training was implemented in weekly activity schedules by NH staff. We ran GLMMs to account for the highly skewed depressive symptoms outcome measure (12-item Geriatric Depression Scale–Residential) by using gamma distribution. Results: Exercising (n = 78) and non-exercising residents (n = 85) showed a comparable level of depressive symptoms at pretest. For exercising residents, depressive symptoms stabilized between pre-, posttest, and at follow-up, whereas an increase was observed for non-exercising residents. The intervention group's stabilisation in depressive symptoms was maintained at follow-up, but increased further for non-exercising residents. Conclusion: Implementing an innovative PA intervention appears to be a promising approach to prevent the increase of NH residents’ depressive symptoms. At the data-analytical level, GLMMs seem to be a promising tool for intervention research at large, because all longitudinally available data points and non-normality of outcome data can be considered. (Edited publisher abstract)
Religious delusions in older adults: diagnoses, combinations, and delusional characteristics
- Authors:
- NOORT Annemarie, et al
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 33(12), 2018, pp.1680-1687.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Objective: Religious delusions (RDs) tend to occur relatively often in patients with affective or non‐affective psychosis. Few studies exist about RDs in later life. The current study explores (1) the distribution of RDs across diagnosis, (2) how RDs relate to other types of delusions, and (3) how RDs relate to several dimensions or characteristics of delusions. Methods: Inpatients and outpatients in a Geriatric Psychiatry Department in the Netherlands (N = 155; mean age 76.5 years), and who were diagnosed with an affective or non‐affective psychotic disorder, participated in semi structured diagnostic interviews, using the Schedules for Clinical Assessement in Neuropsychiatry 2.1. Results: Religious delusions were most common among patients with psychotic depression (47%) and schizophrenia (32%). The RDs frequently co‐occurred with other types of delusions. When combined with delusions of grandeur, RDs were more often classified as bizarre and were accompanied by higher levels of positive psychotic symptoms. When combined with delusions of guilt, RDs were associated with higher levels of distress and a shorter disease duration. The delusional characteristics bizarreness, frequency of psychotic symptoms, and degree of distress were more prevalent for RDs than for any other type of delusion. Conclusions: The current study suggests that the prevalence of RDs in older adults is particularly high in late life psychotic depression. Also, in later life, RDs can be perceived of as independent marker of complex psychotic states, and as a denominator of severe arousal with respect to existential concerns. (Edited publisher abstract)
Writing interventions in older adults and former children of the World War II: impact on quality of life and depression
- Authors:
- SCHMIDT Silke, HAHM Stefanie, FREITAG Simone
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 22(8), 2018, pp.1017-1024.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Objectives: The aim of the current study was to analyse whether biographical writing interventions have an impact on depression and QoL compared to daily diary writing. It also wanted to investigate differential effects between structured and unstructured interventions. Method: In two Northern regions of Germany, 119 older adults aged 64–90 were randomly assigned to three different types of narrative writing interventions: written structured and unstructured biographical disclosure as well as daily diary writing. Depression (PHQ-9), QoL (SF-12, EUROHIS) and trauma-related symptoms (PCL-C) were obtained pre- and post-interventions as well as at three-month follow-up. Results: Follow-up measures were obtained from 85 participants (29% loss to follow-up; mean age = 73.88; 68.2% female). Results of repeated measurement analysis demonstrated a significant effect on depression with the daily diary writing group showing lower depressive symptoms than structured biographical writing. The results did not find a significant impact on QoL. Post-hoc analyses showed that posttraumatic symptoms lead to increases in depressive symptoms. Conclusion: In a non-clinical sample of community-dwelling older adults, biographical writing interventions were not favourable to daily diary writing concerning the outcomes of the study. This might be related to the association of traumatic reminiscences of former children of World War II and outcome measures. (Edited publisher abstract)
Loneliness in senior housing communities
- Authors:
- TAYLOR Harry Owen, WANG Yi, MORROW-HOWELL Nancy
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 61(6), 2018, pp.623-639.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
There are many studies on loneliness among community-dwelling older adults; however, there is limited research examining the extent and correlates of loneliness among older adults who reside in senior housing communities. This study examines the extent and correlates of loneliness in three public senior housing communities in the St. Louis area. Data for this project was collected with survey questionnaires with a total sample size of 148 respondents. Loneliness was measured using the Hughes 3-item loneliness scale. Additionally, the questionnaire contained measures on socio-demographics, health/mental health, social engagement, and social support. Missing data for the hierarchical multivariate regression models were imputed using multiple imputation methods. Results showed approximately 30.8% of the sample was not lonely, 42.7% was moderately lonely, and 26.6% was severely lonely. In the multivariate analyses, loneliness was primarily associated with depressive symptoms. Contrary to popular opinion, our study found the prevalence of loneliness was high in senior housing communities. Nevertheless, senior housing communities could be ideal locations for reducing loneliness among older adults. Interventions should focus on concomitantly addressing both an individual’s loneliness and mental health. (Edited publisher abstract)
The association between social network factors with depression and anxiety at different life stages
- Authors:
- LEVULA Andrew, HARRE Michael, WILSON Andrew
- Journal article citation:
- Community Mental Health Journal, 54(6), 2018, pp.842-854.
- Publisher:
- Springer
This study examines whether social network factors influence individual’s depression and anxiety outcomes at different life stages. Data was drawn from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey. Hierarchical regression modelling was applied to examine the effects within and across different life stages. The depression and anxiety measures were taken from the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) and the social network factors were taken from the self-completion questionnaire. With the exception of social trust in seniors, the social network factors were significant predictors of depression and anxiety. This has practical implications for the design of social policy initiatives. (Publisher abstract)
Losing the battle: perceived status loss and contemplated or attempted suicide in older adults
- Authors:
- DOMBROVSKI Alexandre Y., et al
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 33(7), 2018, pp.907-914.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Objective: While loss of socioeconomic status (SES) has been linked to suicidal behaviour, it is unclear whether this experience is merely a downstream effect of psychopathology (“downward drift”), a sign of hardship, or an independent psychological contributor to suicide risk. The association between the subjective experience of status loss and suicidal behaviour and ideation in old age, while accounting for potential confounders was examined. The researchers were also interested in whether status loss was associated with mere thoughts of suicide vs. suicidal behaviour. Methods: Fifty older (55+) depressed suicide attempters, 29 depressed suicide ideators with no history of attempted suicide, 38 nonsuicidal depressed participants, and 45 nonpsychiatric controls underwent detailed clinical characterization and reported their current and highest lifetime SES. Results: Suicide attempters were more likely to report a decline in their SES compared to healthy controls and nonsuicidal depressed older adults, while not differing from suicide ideators. This difference was not explained by objective predictors of SES, including education, financial difficulties, and the presence of addiction. Interestingly, while the current SES of suicide attempters was much lower than that of comparison groups, their reported highest lifetime SES was just as high, despite the differences in education. Conclusion: In older adults, the experience of status loss is associated with contemplated and attempted suicide even after accounting for objective indicators of social status and psychopathology. It is possible that suicidal individuals retrospectively inflate their previous status, making their current standing appear even worse by comparison. (Edited publisher abstract)
Persistence of depressive symptoms and gait speed recovery in older adults after hip fracture
- Authors:
- RATHBUN Alan M., et al
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 33(7), 2018, pp.875-882.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Objective: Depression after hip fracture in older adults is associated with worse physical performance; however, depressive symptoms are dynamic, fluctuating during the recovery period. The study aim was to determine how the persistence of depressive symptoms over time cumulatively affects the recovery of physical performance. Methods: Marginal structural models estimated the cumulative effect of persistence of depressive symptoms on gait speed during hip fracture recovery among older adults (n = 284) enrolled in the Baltimore Hip Studies 7th cohort. Depressive symptoms at baseline and at 2‐month and 6‐month postadmission for hip fracture were evaluated by using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, and persistence of symptoms was assessed as a time‐averaged severity lagged to standardized 3 m gait speed at 2, 6, and 12 months. Results: A 1‐unit increase in time‐averaged Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression score was associated with a mean difference in gait speed of −0.0076 standard deviations (95% confidence interval [CI]: −0.0184, 0.0032; P = .166). The association was largest in magnitude from baseline to 6 months: −0.0144 standard deviations (95% CI: −0.0303, 0.0015; P = 0.076). Associations for the other time intervals were smaller: −0.0028 standard deviations (95% CI: −0.0138, 0.0083; P = .621) at 2 months and −0.0121 standard deviations (95% CI: −0.0324, 0.0082; P = .238) at 12 months. Conclusion: Although not statistically significant, the magnitude of the numerical estimates suggests that expressing more depressive symptoms during the first 6 months after hip fracture has a meaningful impact on functional recovery. (Edited publisher abstract)
The impact of the physical environment on depressive symptoms of older residents living in care homes: a mixed methods study
- Authors:
- POTTER Rachel, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Gerontologist, 58(3), 2018, p.438–447.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Background and Objectives: Forty percent of residents living in care homes in the United Kingdom have significant depressive symptoms. Care homes can appear to be depressing places, but whether the physical environment of homes directly affects depression in care home residents is unknown. This study explores the relationship between the physical environment and depressive symptoms of older people living in care homes. Research Design and Methods: In a prospective cohort study the physical environment of 50 care homes were measured using the Sheffield Care Environment Assessment Matrix (SCEAM) and depressive symptoms of 510 residents measured using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15). The study was supplemented with semi-structured interviews with residents living in the care homes. Quantitative data were analysed using multi-level modeling, and qualitative data analysed using a thematic framework approach. Results: The overall physical environment of care homes (overall SCEAM score) did not predict depressive symptoms. Controlling for dependency, social engagement, and home type, having access to outdoor space was the only environmental variable to significantly predict depressive symptoms. Residents interviewed reported that access to outdoor space was restricted in many ways: locked doors, uneven foot paths, steep steps, and needing permission or assistance to go outside. Discussion and Implications: New evidence to suggest that access to outdoor space predicts depressive symptoms in older people living in care home is provided. Interventions aimed at increasing access to outdoor spaces could positively affect depressive symptoms in older people. (Edited publisher abstract)