Symptom Structure of Depression in Older Adults on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau: A Network Analysis

Buzohre Eli, Yueyue Zhou, Yaru Chen, Xin Huang and Zhengkui Liu ()
Additional contact information
Buzohre Eli: CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Yueyue Zhou: Department of Psychology, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
Yaru Chen: CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Xin Huang: CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Zhengkui Liu: CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 21, 1-12

Abstract: Previous studies have confirmed that depression among residents in high-altitude areas is more severe, and that depression may be more persistent and disabling in older adults. This study aims to identify the symptom structure of depression among older adults on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (the highest plateau in the world) from a network perspective. This cross-sectional study enrolled 507 older adults (ages 60–80 years old) from the Yushu Prefecture, which is on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, China. Depressive symptoms were self-reported using the shortened Center for Epidemiological Studies–Depression Scale (CES-D-10). Then, a Gaussian graphical model (GGM) of depression was developed. Poor sleep, fear, and hopelessness about the future exhibited high centrality in the network. The strongest edge connections emerged between unhappiness and hopelessness about the future, followed by hopelessness about the future and fear; hopelessness about the future and poor sleep; fear and unhappiness; and then poor sleep and unhappiness in the network. The findings of this current study add to the small body of literature on the network structure and complex relationships between depressive symptoms in older adults in high-altitude areas.

Keywords: depression; older adults; high-altitude areas; network analysis; Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/21/13810/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/21/13810/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:21:p:13810-:d:951526

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().