Factors Associated with Depression in Middle-Aged and Elderly People in Romania

Abstract

The objectives of this study were the determination of the prevalence of self-reported depressive symptoms by the Geriatric Depression Scale and the influences of variable income, physical activity, socialization and sexual activity. A total of 601 patients aged 55–93 years with a mean age of 67.32 years and a median age of 67 years participated in this study between 2016 and 2017. Non-cooperative people and individuals with strong auditory or visual sensory deficits, severe cognitive deficits, or disorders accompanied by psychotic elements with serious somatic pathology were excluded from the interviews. Employing the SPSS GENLIN procedure, an ordinal logistic model was used. Over ½ of the respondents are within the categories of moderate and severe depression, almost half of the respondents feel that their family incomes are not enough or make it hard to meet their needs, approximately 10% think they are sedentary, over ½ participate in no sexual activity, and over ¼ do not frequently respond with pleasure to partner-initiated sexual relationships. Those who were in the higher depression category perceived their income to be extremely low (p = .001), perceived themselves as sedentary (p < .001), infrequently met with friends or neighbours in their leisure time (p = .002), and had lower sexual interest (p < .001). Middle-aged adults and older adults should learn about the health benefits of physical activity, socialization and sexual activity. Social policies must take into account this low-income segment. Poverty itself can be a contributor to depressive states, and additionally, due to their low incomes, elderly people are at risk of benefiting less from pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy.

The Role of Cognitive Reserve in Predicting Cognitive Efficiency

“…The high frequency of television watching as a preferred leisure activity has been reported in another Romanian study. Rada has reported that in 2011 and 2012, among a sample of 1,215 respondents 18-74 years of age, there was little physical activity and that sedentarism was high (Rada, 2015).…”

Policy interplay among social health insurance system, pension system, delayed retirement initiative and implications for the self‐rated health status of older workers

“…10 On the other side, reduced earnings and stepping down from professional jobs, as a direct result of withdrawal from the labour market, can lead to depression and anxiety among older adults. 11 People who retire prior to the conventional retirement age are found more likely to have worse physical and emotional health conditions relative to their working peers and retirees above this age. 12,13 Thus, we propose.…”

“…Postponing the retirement age is shown to be positively associated with health‐promotion behaviours, physical health, and health satisfaction before they withdraw from labour market, 10 where the likelihood of participating in regular exercise increased by 3.2% for each additional year in the labour participation, 10 and the likelihood of having a BMI below obesity standard and satisfaction with ones' health increased by 1.6% and 2.7% respectively 10 . On the other side, reduced earnings and stepping down from professional jobs, as a direct result of withdrawal from the labour market, can lead to depression and anxiety among older adults 11 . People who retire prior to the conventional retirement age are found more likely to have worse physical and emotional health conditions relative to their working peers and retirees above this age 12,13 .…”

How the interplay of late retirement, health care, economic insecurity, and electronic social contact affects the mental health amongst older workers?

“…Primary roles one embraces in the life are associated with ones' satisfaction with retirement, and the mental health may decline in retirement transition for being without acceptance and adoption of other identities (Pinquart & Schindler, 2007). It is shown that depression and anxiety can be triggered by an occupational replacement in older workers after their withdrawal from work activities (Rada, 2020). For example, retirees are more likely to experience mental health problems than workers, particularly among those with poorer physical health ex ante (Gill et al., 2006).…”

“…Besides, the low incomes also limit their affordability and access to quality health care services (Himmelstein et al., 2005), which could aggravate their mental health problems. In practice, depression and anxiety can be triggered by a reduction in income in older people after withdrawal from work activities (Rada, 2020).…”