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KMID : 0605720150210030192
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Journal of the Korean Society of Biological Therapies in Psychiatry
2015 Volume.21 No. 3 p.192 ~ p.198
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Comparison of Depression Between the Elderly Living Alone and Those Living with a Spouse
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Kim Seung-Jeon
Shin Il-Seon
Shin Hee-Young
Kim Jae-Min
Kim Sung-Wan
Yoon Jin-Sang
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Abstract
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Objectives：This study aimed to investigate the spouse effects on depression in community-dwelling elderly Korean population. We examined the gender difference in the influence of living arrangement on depression. We also sought to clarify the role of cognitive function in the influence of living arrangement on depression.
Methods：This study was a community-based, cross-sectional study that included 395 elderly subjects aged 60 years or more. Subjects completed the questionnaire including sociodemographic characteristics and chronic medical illness. Korean version of Short Form of the Geriatric Depression Scale(SGDS-K) and Korean MMSE in the Korean version of the CERAD(Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease) assessment packet(MMSE-KC) were also evaluated. Depression was identified as SGDS-K score of 8 and above.
Results：The mean score on SGDS-K was 5.9(SD=4.52), and the mean score on MMSE-KC was 23.3(SD=4.67) in all samples. The prevalence of depression was 35.4%. In univariate analyses, the elderly living alone had a higher risk of depression than those living with a spouse(Odds ratio, OR=2.32, 95% Confidence Interval, CI=1.51-3.58, p＜0.001). After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and chronic illness state, this association was attenuated(OR= 1.80, 95% CI=1.01-3.21, p=0.048). But, after further adjusting for MMSE-KC scores, the association was further attenuated and it remained statistically insignificant. In the full adjusted model, more number of elderly females living alone had depression than those living with a spouse with marginal statistical significance(OR=2.03, 95% CI=1.00-4.13, p=0.051).
Conclusion：These findings suggest that cognitive function is a possible confounding factor in the influence of living arrangement on depression. Living alone is likely to be a significant risk factor for depression among community-dwelling elderly females.
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KEYWORD
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Elderly living alone, Elderly living with a spouse, Depression, Cognitive function
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