RESUMEN
AIM: The purpose of the present study was to clarify the relationship between late-life depression and daily life stress in a representative sample of 10 969 Japanese subjects. METHODS: Data on 10 969 adults aged > or =50 who participated in the Active Survey of Health and Welfare in 2000, were analyzed. The self-administered questionnaire included items on 21 reasons for life stressors and the magnitude of stress, as well as the Japanese version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). The relationship between the incidence of life stressors and mild-moderate (D(16)) and severe (D(26)) depressive symptoms was examined using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 21.9% of subjects had D(16) symptoms, and 9.3% had D(26) symptoms. Further, increased age and being female were associated with more severe depressive state. Logistic regression analysis indicated that the strongest relationship between both the incidence of D(16) and D(26) symptoms and life stressors stemmed from 'having no one to talk to' (odds ratio = 3.3 and 5.0, respectively). Late-life depression was also associated with 'loss of purpose in life', 'separation/divorce', 'having nothing to do', 'health/illness/care of self', and 'debt'. CONCLUSION: There is a relationship between late-life depression and diminished social relationships, experiences involving loss of purpose in life or human relationships, and health problems in the Japanese general population.
Asunto(s)
Trastorno Depresivo/etiología , Acontecimientos que Cambian la Vida , Estrés Psicológico/complicaciones , Factores de Edad , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Estudios Transversales , Trastorno Depresivo/epidemiología , Trastorno Depresivo/psicología , Femenino , Encuestas Epidemiológicas , Humanos , Relaciones Interpersonales , Japón/epidemiología , Modelos Logísticos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Oportunidad Relativa , Escalas de Valoración Psiquiátrica , Riesgo , Factores Sexuales , Estrés Psicológico/etiologíaRESUMEN
This study's aim was to examine the relation between depression and stress-coping strategy among the general population. The survey was conducted in June 2000, using a large sample representative of the Japanese general population. A total of 24,551 responses from individuals aged 20 years or older were analyzed. The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) was used to assess the prevalence of depression with two different cut-off points; 16 and 26. Stress-coping strategies were asked based on given examples of actual behaviors covering problem-focused, emotion-focused, and avoidant ones. There was no marked gender difference in the prevalence of a problem-solving strategy, while various types of gender differences were found with respect to the prevalence of emotion-focused and avoidant strategies. In relation to depression, multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed the significantly highest odds ratios (OR) for avoidant coping strategies and the lowest OR for problem-focused ones in both genders. The fact that depression was associated positively with avoidant strategies but negatively with problem-solving strategies indicates that individual stress-coping strategies have their own significance with respect to depression, and may be utilized in establishing an evidence-based cognitive behavioral approach to depressive patients.