Sun Hongbo, Zhou Youcai, Zhang Xianqiang, Liang Zhongxin, Chen Jinlan, Zhou Ping, Xue Xinjie
Guangzhou Civil Affairs Bureau Psychiatric Hospital, Guangdong, Guangzhou, China.
Guangzhou Social Welfare Institute, Guangdong, Guangzhou, China.
Front Aging Neurosci. 2025 Apr 11;17:1527774. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2025.1527774. eCollection 2025.
Chinese older adults frequently encounter limitations in activities of daily living (ADL) and experience depression. Prior research has not deeply explored the interconnectedness of these factors through network analysis.
The study utilized data from 2,137 older adults aged 65 and older, sourced from the 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). The ADL scale and CESD-10 were employed to assess ability to perform ADL and depression, respectively. We conducted network modeling and bridge expected influence (BEI) evaluations to investigate the relationships between these ADL and depression.
Our network analysis revealed robust connections between ADL and depressive symptoms. Specifically, somatic symptoms emerged as significant predictors of depression risk with the highest BEI of 0.21, whereas positive symptoms exhibited a protective effect with the highest BEI of 0.13. Notably, toileting with the highest BEI of 0.04 among the ADL was identified as a pivotal node linking ADL to depression.
This study illuminated the complex interplay between ADL and depression in Chinese older adults, with toileting serving as a crucial connecting point. Our findings offer valuable insights that can inform efforts to enhance mental health and improve the quality of life for this population.
中国老年人在日常生活活动（ADL）中经常遇到限制，并经历抑郁。先前的研究尚未通过网络分析深入探讨这些因素之间的相互联系。
该研究使用了来自2018年中国健康与养老追踪调查（CHARLS）的2137名65岁及以上老年人的数据。ADL量表和CESD-10分别用于评估ADL能力和抑郁情况。我们进行了网络建模和桥梁预期影响（BEI）评估，以研究这些ADL与抑郁之间的关系。
我们的网络分析揭示了ADL与抑郁症状之间的紧密联系。具体而言，躯体症状成为抑郁风险的重要预测因素，最高BEI为0.21，而积极症状则表现出保护作用，最高BEI为0.13。值得注意的是，在ADL中，如厕的BEI最高，为0.04，被确定为连接ADL与抑郁的关键节点。
本研究阐明了中国老年人ADL与抑郁之间的复杂相互作用，如厕是一个关键的连接点。我们的研究结果提供了有价值的见解，可为改善这一人群的心理健康和生活质量的努力提供参考。
