Childhood adversities, late-life stressors and the onset of depressive symptoms in community-dwelling older adults

Abstract

Objective: Depression is common in older individuals though many factors associated with its occurrence remain under-researched. We examined whether childhood adversities (CAs) and late-life stressors are associated with the onset of depressive symptoms in adults aged ≥ 65 and if these early- and late-life stressors interact in the prediction of depressive symptoms. Methods: Data came from the 2010 and 2013 waves of the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES) (N = 8701). The Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) was used to assess the presence of depressive symptoms (GDS ≥ 5). A Poisson regression analysis was used to examine associations. Results: Both CAs (1 event: incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 1.59, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.41–1.79; ≥ 2 events: IRR = 2.36, 95% CI = 1.80–3.10) and late-life stressful events (1 event: IRR = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.02–1.25; ≥ 2 events: IRR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.05–1.50) were significantly associated with the onset of depressive symptoms. Borderline significant interactions between CAs and late-life stressors (e.g. ≥ 2 CAs and ≥ 2 late-life events: IRR = 0.61, p = 0.087) suggest that late-life stressors may be important in predicting the onset of depressive symptoms especially among individuals with no or fewer CAs compared to those with ≥ 2 CAs. Conclusions: Stressful events in childhood and late adulthood were independently associated with the onset of depressive symptoms in older adults. In addition, stressful experiences in childhood might affect how individuals respond to stressful events in later life.

Keywords:

• Depression
• adverse events (AE)
• aging
• epidemiology

Acknowledgements

This study used data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES). We would like to thank those individuals who participated in the study.

Authors’ roles

All authors contributed to the conception, design, and interpretation of the data, Y.I. undertook the data analysis, J.A. and N.K. contributed to the acquisition of the data, Y.I. and A.S. drafted the manuscript, A.Y., A.K. contributed to the critical revision of the manuscript. Y.I. had full access to all the data in the study and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare they have no conflicts of interest.

Availability of data and materials

All inquiries concerning the data are to be addressed to the data management committee via email: [email protected]. All JAGES datasets have ethical or legal restrictions for public deposition due to the inclusion of sensitive information from the human participants.

Additional information

Funding

This study was financially supported by the MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology-Japan)-Supported Program for the Strategic Research Foundation at Private Universities (2009-2013), JSPS (Japan Society for the Promotion of Science) KAKENHI Grant Numbers (JP18390200, JP22330172, JP22390400, JP23243070, JP23590786, JP23790710, JP24390469, JP24530698, JP24683018, JP25253052, JP25870573, JP25870881, JP26285138, JP26882010, JP15H01972), Health Labour Sciences Research Grants (H22-Choju-Shitei-008, H24-Junkanki [Seishu]-Ippan-007, H24- Chikyukibo-Ippan-009, H24-Choju-Wakate-009, H25-Kenki-Wakate-015, H25-Choju-Ippan-003, H26-Irryo-Shitei-003 [Fukkou], H26-Choju-Ippan-006, H27-Ninchisyou-Ippan-001), the Research and Development Grants for Longevity Science from AMED (Japan Agency for Medical Research and development), the Personal Health Record (PHR) Utilization Project from AMED, the Research Funding for Longevity Sciences from National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology (24-17, 24-23, 29-42), World Health Organization Centre for Health Development (WHO Kobe Centre) (WHO APW 2017/713981). Y.I.'s work was financially supported by the Nippon Foundation International Fellowship Program (http://intl-fellow.jp/en/). A.K.'s work was supported by the Miguel Servet contract financed by the CP13/00150 and PI15/00862 projects, integrated into the National R + D + I and funded by the ISCIII - General Branch Evaluation and Promotion of Health Research - and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF-FEDER). These organizations had no role in the study design, data collection, analysis and interpretation; in the writing of the manuscript; and in the decision to submit the paper for publication.