Depression and Anxiety-Free Life Expectancy by Sex and Urban–Rural Areas in Jiangxi, China in 2013 and 2018

Abstract

To quantitatively estimate life expectancy (LE) and depression and anxiety-free life expectancy (DAFLE) for the years 2013 and 2018 in Jiangxi Province, China, by sex and urban–rural areas. Additionally, to compare the discrepancy of DAFLE/LE of different sexes and urban-rural areas over various years. Methods: Based on the summary of the health statistics of Jiangxi Province in 2013 and 2018 and the results of the 5th and 6th National Health Service Surveys in Jiangxi Province, the model life table is used to estimate the age-specific mortality rate by sex and urban–rural areas. Sullivan’s method was used to calculate DAFLE. Results: Data from 2013 indicate that those aged 15 can expect to live 56.20 years without depression and anxiety for men and 59.67 years without depression and anxiety for women. Compared to 2013, DAFLE had not fluctuated significantly in 2018. The proportion of life expectancy without depression and anxiety (DAFLE/LE) declined between 2013 and 2018. DAFLE/LE in urban areas was higher than in rural areas. Men had higher DAFLE/LE than women. From 2013 to 2018, the DAFLE aged 15 decreased by 0.18 years for urban men and decreased by 0.52 years for urban women, rural areas also decreased to varying degrees. Conclusions: Even if women had a longer life span than men, they would spend more time with depression or anxiety. DAFLE did not increase with the increase in LE from 2013 to 2018, suggesting an absolute expansion of the burden, especially in rural areas. Depression and anxiety health services in Jiangxi, China will face more serious obstacles and challenges, which may lead to more disability. This requires more attention and more effective measures from the public, medical departments and the government.

Gender differences in life expectancy free of depressive symptoms in Chile between 2003 and 2016

“…Although women have a longer life expectancy, the prevalence of depression is also higher among them (Salk et al, 2017 ). Consistently, previous research has shown a differential impact of depression on healthy life expectancies, depending on gender, with women at all ages expecting to live a higher proportion of their life with depression (Andrade et al, 2016 ; Alves and Pereira, 2018 ; García et al, 2019 ; Wu et al, 2021 ; Bramajo, 2022 ).…”

“…The CIDI-SF cannot rule out that the symptoms are due to other mental health problems or grief. However, previous studies about life expectancy free of depressive symptoms have used screening tools for depression (Drummond Andrade et al, 2016 ) or self-reported diagnosis (Alves and Pereira, 2018 ; Wu et al, 2021 ). When interpreting the results of our study, it is important to take into account that the prevalence of depressive symptoms overestimates the prevalence of depression.…”

Prevalence and gender disparity of those who screen positive for depression in China by the classification of the employer and industry: a cross-sectional, population-based study

“…We also investigated the following variables because of their identified influence on depression in China, including residence place (urban vs rural), self-rated health status (poor or lower, fair, and good or above), and survey year (2016 or 2018) [ 13 , 34 , 35 ].…”

Temporal trend and subgroup disparities in the prevalence and treatment of those who screen positive for depression in China: A population-based study

“…We investigated socio-demographic characteristics including age (years), gender (male vs. female), marital status (married/cohabitation, never married, and widowed/divorced/separated), education attained (illiterate, primary school, middle school, high school or equivalent, and bachelor or above), minority ethnicity (yes or no), and average annual household income per person. We also investigated the following variables because of their identified influence on depression in China, including residence place (urban vs. rural), and self-rated health status (poor or lower, fair, and good or above) ( 10 , 20 , 21 ).…”

“…In China, about 15.9-38.6% of the general population suffer from common mental health problems (2,(4)(5)(6)(7), and females are nearly twice as likely to have common mental health problems as males (5,6). Previous studies have also estimated the prevalence of mental disorders by age, gender, and year (2,(8)(9)(10)(11). To improve the worrying mental health situation, it has significant practical implications for policymakers in China to understand the temporal trend of prevalence and treatment of mental disorders.…”