Anxiety, Depression and Quality of Life in Older Adults: Trajectories of Influence across Age

Oscar Ribeiro, Laetitia Teixeira, Lia Araújo, Carmen Rodríguez-Blázquez, Amaia Calderón-Larrañaga and Maria João Forjaz
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Oscar Ribeiro: Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Department of Education and Psychology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Laetitia Teixeira: Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, Department of Population Studies, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
Lia Araújo: Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), School of Education, Polytechnic Institute of Viseu (ESEV.IPV), 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal
Carmen Rodríguez-Blázquez: National Centre of Epidemiology, Carlos III Health Institute and CIBERNED, 28029 Madrid, Spain
Amaia Calderón-Larrañaga: Aging Research Center, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet and REDISSEC, 17165 Solna, Sweden
Maria João Forjaz: National Centre of Epidemiology, Carlos III Health Institute and REDISSEC, 28029 Madrid, Spain

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 23, 1-10

Abstract: This study focuses on the influence of anxiety and depression on individual trajectories of quality of life in old age through a longitudinal approach. A representative sample of adults aged 50+ living in Portugal and participating in wave 4 (W4) and wave 6 (W6) of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) project was considered. Participants, 1765 at baseline (W4) and 1201 at follow up (W6), were asked about their quality of life (CASP-12) and emotional status (Euro-D scale; five items from the Beck Anxiety Inventory). Linear Mixed Effects models were performed to identify factors associated with changes in quality of life across age. Increasing age was found to have a significant negative effect on quality of life. Lower education and higher levels of depression and anxiety at baseline were also associated with worse quality of life; 42.1% of the variation of CASP-12 across age was explained by fixed and random effects, being depression followed by anxiety as the factors that presented with the highest relative importance. Both depression and anxiety play an important role in quality of life in older adults and must be acknowledged as important intervention domains to foster healthy and active aging.

Keywords: mental health; longitudinal; SHARE; CASP-12; elderly; Portugal (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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