Prevalence and factors associated with anxiety and depression in older adults: gender differences in psychosocial indicators

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Abstract

Background: With increasing numbers of people living into old age, health functioning and good quality of life are central to public health policy in aging. However, quality of life for many elders is undermined by anxiety and depression. Understanding gender differences in the determinants of anxiety and depression symptoms is crucial to policy and practice.

Objective: To examine gender-specific symptom subtypes of later-life anxiety and depression, in relation to their socio-demographic, social and health context.
Method: Cross-sectional study using data from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA, 2009-2011). Latent class analysis defined gender-specific symptom profiles for anxiety and depression. Correlates of latent classes were analysed using logistic regression, assessing associations between socio-demographic factors; social indicators and health indicators.

Results: Four classes of self-reported anxiety and depression were derived: ‘low’, ‘comorbidity’, ‘anxiety and subthreshold depression’ and ‘anxiety’ only. With males 8% were comorbid, 26% subthreshold and 26% with anxiety only. With female 12% were comorbid, 27% subthreshold and 29% with anxiety only. While symptom expression may relate to stress from common ageing, our findings show clear gradations of symptoms associated with a range of social and health indicators.

Conclusion: Our findings support the actuality of comorbid depression and anxiety with further evidence for anxiety and subthreshold depression. A sizeable subgroup confirms that many older people experience anxiety only. Our study indicates the need for a more sensitive recognition of needs and a more nuanced policy agenda for older people towards improving the quality of their social life.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)114-122
Number of pages9
JournalJournal of Affective Disorders
Volume267
Early online date8 Feb 2020
DOIs
Publication statusPublished (in print/issue) - 15 Apr 2020

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The TILDA study is supported by Irish Life; the Department for Health and Children; and by The Atlantic Philanthropies. The IDS-TILDA study is funded by the Health Research Board and the Department of Health. The sponsors had no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis and interpretation of the data; or preparation, review and approval of the manuscript.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Elsevier B.V.

Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

Keywords

  • Affective disorders
  • Loneliness
  • Long term health
  • Old age psychiatry

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