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Group-based trajectories of depressive symptoms and the predictors in the older population
- Author:
- HSU Hui-Chuan
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 27(8), August 2012, pp.854-862.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Group-based trajectories of depressive symptoms were examined in older people over an extended period and risk factors identified by gender. The 18-year data used were drawn from a multiple-wave nationwide survey of the older Taiwanese population. Group-based trajectory analysis was used to identify the trajectories, and risk factors at baseline. Previous depressive symptoms were used as predictors for the trajectories. Six trajectories were identified within the whole sample; females were more likely to be in the increasing and declining trajectories than males. When the data were divided by gender, four trajectories for males and four trajectories for females were identified: low, medium, declining, and increasing. Higher-level trajectories of depressive symptoms were related to more chronic diseases, lower physical function, lower economic satisfaction, and previous depressive symptoms for both the older men and women. Less social support and social participation were related to higher depressive symptom trajectories, particularly for men. The authors conclude that older females may experience more emotional fluctuation than elderly males. They suggest that changes in the psychosocial health of older females needs to be considered by health professionals and families. Social support and social participation are protective against depressive symptoms for the higher-level trajectory groups, and older men, in particular, are more sensitive to these two social-health-related variables.
What makes you good and happy? Effects of internal and external resources to adaptation and psychological well-being for the disabled elderly in Taiwan
- Authors:
- HSU Hui-Chuan, TUNG Ho-Jui
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 14(7), September 2010, pp.851-860.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
This study explores the reasons why some elderly people can adapt to disability and maintain a high degree of psychological well-being by investigating the effect of internal adaptation and external resources on psychological well-being. Data were collected by face-to-face interviews with physically disabled elderly people, including institutional and community-based long-term care service users in middle Taiwan. The number of persons interviewed was 563, of whom 505 completed the survey and met the disability criteria. Internal resources (coping strategies and self-management of health) and external resources (social support and environmental support) were hypothesised to be related to difficulty in adapting to disability, and had a further impact on depressive symptoms and life satisfaction. The results showed that acceptance-action coping strategies were beneficial in the adaptation process and in psychological well-being, and self-management of health was positively related to successful adaptation. Social support and environmental support were beneficial to adaptation and psychological well-being, although the effects were modest. In general, the effect of internal resources was larger than the external resources to adaptation and psychological well-being.