Department of Psychiatry and Neuropathobiology, Kumamoto University Graduate School of Medical Science, Kumamoto, Japan.
Psychogeriatrics. 2012 Sep;12(3):179-85. doi: 10.1111/j.1479-8301.2012.00402.x.
This study aimed to investigate factors associated with depression in a sample of elderly Japanese individuals in a rural community and to examine differences among factors associated with individuals living alone or living with others.
Using a population-based sample from rural Japan, we assessed a total of 1552 participants aged 65 years or older by mailing a survey and evaluating responses based on the Geriatric Depression Scale. Factors associated with depression were also examined.
We received 964 valid responses. Depressed subjects comprised 20.5% of the sample. Living alone was significantly related to depression. In individuals living alone, depression was associated with loss of appetite, suicidal ideation, financial strain, and worries in life. However, multiple linear regression analyses revealed that the influence of living alone was negated by having a good social support system.
These findings confirm that living alone is an important factor in depression among the elderly in a rural part of Japan. Results also confirm what others have found in Western cultures: high levels of social support, awareness of receiving social support, and willingness to receive assistance may reduce the risk of depression.
本研究旨在调查日本农村社区老年人群体中与抑郁相关的因素，并探讨独居和与他人共同居住的个体之间相关因素的差异。
我们使用日本农村地区的基于人群的样本，通过邮寄调查评估了总共 1552 名 65 岁或以上的参与者，评估依据为老年抑郁量表。我们还评估了与抑郁相关的因素。
我们收到了 964 份有效回复。抑郁患者占样本的 20.5%。独居与抑郁显著相关。在独居者中，抑郁与食欲不振、自杀意念、经济压力和生活忧虑有关。然而，多元线性回归分析表明，良好的社会支持系统可以抵消独居的影响。
这些发现证实了在日本农村地区，独居是老年人抑郁的一个重要因素。结果还证实了在西方文化中发现的情况：高水平的社会支持、意识到接受社会支持以及愿意接受帮助可能会降低抑郁的风险。
