Accumulated lifecourse adversities and depressive symptoms in later life among older men and women in England

A longitudinal study

Datos Bibliográficos

ID11200971
AutoresJane Falkingham (0000-0002-7135-5875, University of Southampton, autor de correspondencia), Maria Evandrou (0000-0002-2115-9358, University of Southampton), Min Qin (0000-0001-8867-2394, University of Southampton), Athina Vlachantoni (0000-0003-1539-3057, University of Southampton)
Año2020
Volumen40
Número10
Páginas2079-2105
Fecha de publicación2020-10-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaAgeing and Society (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0144-686X • E-ISSN: 1469-1779
EditorialCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s0144686x19000461
OpenAlexW2938206498
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas4
Referencias citadas45

This paper investigates the association between accumulated major lifecourse adversities and later-life depressive symptoms among older people in England, both at a single point in time (prevalence) and the onset over time during later life (incidence), using data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Using retrospective data on the experience of major life adversities from childhood onwards, five latent classes were identified: no/few lifecourse adversities (58.6%), lost relationship (27.0%), chained adversities (2.4%), childhood adversities (6.3%) and war-related adversities (5.7%). Older people who had experienced ‘chained adversities’, ‘childhood adversities’ and ‘a lost relationship’ had higher odds of presenting current depressive symptoms in 2006, even after controlling for socio-demographic characteristics, health-risk behaviours and social resources. Longitudinal analysis indicated that amongst respondents who were clear of depression in 2006, those older people who had experienced childhood adversities, a lost relationship and war-related adversities experienced a higher risk of having a new case of depressive symptoms. Results further indicate that women's mental health in later life is more sensitive to earlier life adversities than men's. The study shows that intervention earlier in the lifecourse may have benefits for the individual both contemporaneously and over the longer term

Anxiety · Depression (economics) · Depressive symptoms · Developmental psychology · Incidence (geometry) · Intervention (counseling) · Life course approach · Logistic regression · Longitudinal study · Mental health · Odds · Psychiatry · Demography · Employment and Welfare Studies · Health disparities and outcomes · Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving · Medicine · Psychology