Department of Psychology, The University of Utah Asia Campus, Incheon, Republic of Korea.
Department of Statistics, Keimyung University, Daegu, Republic of Korea.
J Psychiatr Res. 2024 Oct;178:23-32. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.07.048. Epub 2024 Aug 2.
Strict social isolation and physical distancing measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic had significant implications for the psychological well-being of middle-aged and older adults. This study aimed to investigate factors associated with depressive symptoms during the pandemic period among individuals who reported no significant depressive symptoms before the pandemic. Individuals from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging without a previous report of significant depressive symptoms across Waves 6 (2016) and 7 (2018) were investigated for the development of depressive symptoms in Wave 8 (2020). The multivariable logistic regression results revealed that both men and women who participated in social gatherings and physical exercise less than once a week were associated with an increase in the likelihood of depressive symptoms (odds ratio [OR] 2.88; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.80-4.61 and OR 2.61; 95% CI 1.64-4.15, respectively for men and OR 2.58; 95% CI 1.80-3.70 and OR 1.51; 95% CI 1.02-2.23, respectively for women). In addition, unmarried men (OR 2.38; 95% CI 1.37-4.14) and women with one chronic disease (OR 1.98; 95% CI 1.14-3.43) or two or more chronic diseases (OR 2.28; 95% CI 1.31-3.99) reported a significant increase in the likelihood of depressive symptoms. Regular social gatherings and physical exercise were identified as key factors in mitigating depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older adults. The findings can inform the development of public health strategies that promote regular social interactions and physical activity to enhance the psychological resilience and overall well-being of middle-aged and older adults in the endemic era.
在 COVID-19 大流行期间实施的严格社交隔离和身体距离措施对中年和老年人的心理健康产生了重大影响。本研究旨在调查在大流行期间报告没有明显抑郁症状的个体中与抑郁症状相关的因素。从韩国老龄化纵向研究中，调查了在没有报告第 6 波（2016 年）和第 7 波（2018 年）有明显抑郁症状的个体在第 8 波（2020 年）中出现抑郁症状的发展情况。多变量逻辑回归结果显示，每周参加社交聚会和体育锻炼少于一次的男性和女性患抑郁症状的可能性增加（男性比值比 [OR] 2.88；95%置信区间 [CI] 1.80-4.61 和 OR 2.61；95% CI 1.64-4.15；女性 OR 2.58；95% CI 1.80-3.70 和 OR 1.51；95% CI 1.02-2.23）。此外，未婚男性（OR 2.38；95% CI 1.37-4.14）和患有一种慢性疾病（OR 1.98；95% CI 1.14-3.43）或两种或更多慢性疾病（OR 2.28；95% CI 1.31-3.99）的女性患抑郁症状的可能性显著增加。定期的社交聚会和体育锻炼被确定为减轻中年和老年人抑郁症状的关键因素。这些发现可以为制定公共卫生策略提供信息，促进定期的社会互动和体育活动，以增强中年和老年人在流行时代的心理弹性和整体幸福感。
