BackgroundWe examined the longitudinal association between participation in individual or combinations of physical, social, and religious activity and risk of depression in the elderly.MethodsElderly subjects aged ≥60 years who completed the Living Profiles of Older People Survey in Korea (n = 6,647) were included. The baseline assessment, Wave 1, was conducted in 2008, and a follow-up assessment, Wave 2, was conducted in 2011. We defined participation in frequent physical activity as ≥3 times weekly (at least 30 minutes per activity). Frequent participation in social and religious activity was defined as ≥1 activity weekly. The primary outcome was depression at 3-year follow up.ResultsMultivariable logistic regression analysis showed that subjects who participated in frequent physical, social, and religious activity had an adjusted odds ratio of 0.81 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.69–0.96), 0.87 (95% CI, 0.75–1.00), and 0.78 (95% CI, 0.67–0.90), respectively, compared with participants who did not participate in each activity. Participants who participated in only one type of activity frequently and participants who participated in two or three types of activities frequently had an adjusted odds ratio of 0.86 (95% CI, 0.75–0.98) and 0.64 (95% CI, 0.52–0.79), respectively, compared with participants who did not participate in any type of physical, social, and religious activity frequently.ConclusionParticipation in physical, social, and religious activity was associated with decreased risk of depression in the elderly. In addition, risk of depression was much lower in the elderly people who participated in two or three of the above-mentioned types of activity than that in the elderly who did not.

The relationship between atopic dermatitis (AD) and psychological distress has been well established for children and adolescents. However, it is unclear whether this relationship exists in young adults. This study aimed to assess the relationship between AD and psychological distress in young male adults in South Korea.A cross-sectional study was conducted using regional conscription data from 2008 to 2012. A dermatologist diagnosed AD based on historical and clinical features, and determined severity using the eczema area and severity index. A psychiatrist used medical records, an interview, and a psychological test to examine psychological distress (depression, anxiety, and somatization). The relationship between psychological distress and AD was assessed by multivariate logistic regression analyses.Among the 120,508 conscripts, 1517 (1.2%) presented with AD. The odds of having each type of psychological distress were significantly greater for individuals with AD compared with those without AD. The adjusted odds ratios for depression, anxiety, and somatization were 1.79 (95% CI 1.40–2.29), 1.38 (95% CI 1.08–1.76), and 1.75 (95% CI 1.40–2.20), respectively. Moderate-to-severe AD was significantly related to depression and somatization to a greater extent compared with mild AD.Depression, anxiety, and somatization are strongly and independently associated with AD in young adult males. Early treatment of skin inflammation might modify the risk of psychiatric problems. Prospective cohort studies are needed to verify causal relationships.

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Objective The objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of usual care management (UCM) and a newly-developed lifestyle modification with contingency management (LMCM) for geriatric depressive symptoms in the community. Methods A randomized controlled trial was conducted in 93 older adults with major depressive disorder at community mental health centers. A 12 week multi-domain LMCM was developed by providing positive reinforcement using ‘gold medal stickers’ as a symbolic incentive to motivate their participation and adherence. Participants were allocated to LMCM (n=47) and UCM (n=46) groups. They were then subjected to the 12 week treatment. Effects of the two intervention methods on Geriatric Depression Scale were determined using mixed model analysis. Results Participants in the LMCM group had greater decline in GDS score per month than participants in the UCM group after adjusting for age, sex, years of education, living alone, and MMSE scores at baseline examination [coefficient for GDS score (95% CI): -1.08 (-1.51, -0.65), p<0.001, reference: UCM group]. Conclusion LMCM is safe and easy to use with a low cost. LMCM is suitable as psychosocial intervention for older adults with depressive symptoms in the community.

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