Medizinische Universität Graz Austria/Österreich - Forschungsportal - Medical University of Graz
Gewählte Publikation:
SHR Neuro Krebs Kardio Lipid Stoffw Microb
Mayerl, H; Stolz, E; Freidl, W.
Lonely and depressed in older age: prospective associations and common vulnerabilities.
Aging Ment Health. 2023; 27(3):640-645
Doi: 10.1080/13607863.2022.2056138
Web of Science
PubMed
FullText
FullText_MUG
- Führende Autor*innen der Med Uni Graz
- Mayerl Hannes
- Co-Autor*innen der Med Uni Graz
- Freidl Wolfgang
- Stolz Erwin
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- Abstract:
- OBJECTIVES: Research demonstrated a close relationship between loneliness and depressive symptoms, but it remains unclear whether these constructs reciprocally influence each other or whether the association is due to common causes. This study aimed at examining how loneliness and depressive symptoms jointly unfold across time and how the relationship varies both within and between individuals. METHODS: We used survey data of N = 8472 older adults gathered in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, which included eight waves over a time period of up to 15 years. The relationship was analyzed using a latent curve model, allowing us to separate within-person processes from between-person differences in long-term growth. RESULTS: Results showed no prospective effects of loneliness on depressive symptoms (or vice versa) at the within-person level. Yet, within-person increases in loneliness were related to within-person increases in depressive symptoms at the same point in time. As regards the between-person effects, greater long-term growth in loneliness went along with greater long-term growth in depressive symptoms. CONCLUSION: Our findings did not support the assumption that loneliness and depressive symptoms influence each other over time, but rather suggest that the short- and long-term associations may be due to a common vulnerability to the same causes. UNLABELLED: Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2022.2056138 .
- Find related publications in this database (using NLM MeSH Indexing)
- Humans - administration & dosage
- Aged - administration & dosage
- Loneliness - administration & dosage
- Longitudinal Studies - administration & dosage
- Aging - administration & dosage
- Surveys and Questionnaires - administration & dosage
- Depression - epidemiology
- Find related publications in this database (Keywords)
- Depressive symptoms
- loneliness
- within-person effects
- cross-lagged effects
- latent curve model