Effects of Age on Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression in a Sample of Retired Police Officers.

Abstract

This study addressed the effects of age on anxiety and depressive symptoms. The analysis was based on the responses of 1,334 retired male Scottish police officers (34-94 years old) to the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine the partialed linear and curvilinear effects of symptoms of, separately, anxiety and depression on age and retirement variables. Significant partialed effects of retirement type and present age were found. Early retirement was a vulnerability factor for both disorders. The authors found a consistent linear reduction in anxiety across age and a U-shaped function for depression across age. The differing profiles and independent effects of age on anxiety and depression are consistent with their status as separate entities. Respondents were increasingly susceptible to depression from the mid-50s onward, whereas susceptibility to anxiety was reduced with age.

Changes in the expression of worries, anxiety, and generalized anxiety disorder with increasing age: A population study of 70 to 85‐year‐olds

“…In sum, symptoms associated with “fear” (ie, autonomic arousal and muscle tension) decreased markedly with age, while symptoms associated with worry remained stable or increased. Our finding of reduced prevalence of clinically relevant anxiety with age is in line with other studies . However, there are also studies supporting that anxiety remains stable with age .…”

Age, subjective stress, and depression after ischemic stroke

“…In fact, the pattern of depression prevalence among the four age groups in our study raises the possibility of a curvilinear effect in which one’s risk for depression may be the greatest between the ages of 25 and 54, subside through the remainder of midlife and into early old age, and then increase again in later old age. Future studies should investigate such a curvilinear relationship, as has been found in depression studies with otherwise healthy populations as well as those experiencing unanticipated health-related events (Carlson, 2011; Mirowsky & Kim, 2004; Tuohy et al, 2005). Studies should also examine more closely the types of depressive symptoms (i.e., cognitive, affective, somatic) experienced by stroke survivors across the lifespan, as research suggests that the nature of symptoms may vary by age (Goldberg et al, 2003).…”

Early Retirement: A Meta-Analysis of Its Antecedent and Subsequent Correlates

“…Since the pioneer works highlighted the more relevant factors of ER (Beehr, 1986 ; Hanisch and Hulin, 1991 ; Ekerdt and De Viney, 1993 ; Feldman, 1994 ; Taylor and Shore, 1995 ; Shultz et al, 1998 ; Szinovacz, 2003 ), a great amount of empirical studies has been published (Keith, 1985 ; Monahan, 1985 ; Hayward, 1986 ; Bell et al, 1989 ; Knesek, 1989 ; Swan et al, 1991 ; Härkäpää, 1992 ; Hardy and Quadagno, 1995 ; Cunningham, 1996 ; Eastman, 1996 ; Gowan, 1998 ; Edén et al, 1999 ; Hardy and Hazelrigg, 1999 ; Kerkhofs et al, 1999 ; Börsch-Supan, 2000 ; Kim and Feldman, 2000 ; Suh, 2000 ; Bahman, 2001 ; Rojanawon, 2001 ; Kim and Moen, 2002 ; Austrom et al, 2003 ; Davis, 2003 ; Elovainio et al, 2003 ; Kim, 2003 ; Martínez et al, 2003 ; Mein et al, 2003 ; Pauwels, 2003 ; Szinovacz, 2003 , 2013 ; Tunceli, 2003 ; Cardano et al, 2004 ; Husemoen et al, 2004 ; Karpansalo et al, 2004 ; Simbula et al, 2004 ; Szinovacz and Davey, 2004 ; Blekesaune and Solem, 2005 ; Buxton et al, 2005 ; De Judicibus and McCabe, 2005 ; Hansez et al, 2005 ; Kiessling and Henriksson, 2005 ; Rasmussen and Andersen, 2005 ; Seitsamo, 2005 ; Taskila-Åbrandt et al, 2005 ; Tsai et al, 2005 ; Tuohy et al, 2005 ; Butterworth et al, 2006 ; Enthoven et al, 2006 ; Graves, 2006 ; Hartig and Fransson, 2006 ; Rennemark and Berggren, 2006 ; Vaillant ...…”