Scientific reports

Links between long-term illnesses and depression in middle-aged and older adults living in rural areas

Updated

Abstract

Among 395 participants aged 45 and above, are associated with increased , particularly eye diseases and heart disease.

  • Chronic diseases, excluding metabolic disorders, significantly contribute to depressive inclinations in middle-aged and older adults.
  • The presence of multiple chronic diseases correlates with higher levels of depressive inclinations.
  • Positive , such as spousal trust and satisfaction in intergenerational relationships, may reduce the impact of chronic diseases on depression.
  • Conversely, skipped generational caregiving is associated with an increase in depressive inclinations tied to chronic diseases.
  • Other forms of social relationships, including kinship and friendship networks, do not appear to significantly influence the association between chronic diseases and depressive inclinations.

Simplified

Key numbers

76%
Chronic Disease Prevalence
Percentage of participants diagnosed with one or more .
41.52%
Percentage of participants exhibiting depressive symptoms.
16.8%
Eye Disease Association
Prevalence of eye disease among participants.

Full Text

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Funding

Competing interests

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: We followed the principals of the Declaration of Helsinki and received ethical approval from the Medical Ethics Committee of Shaanxi Normal University (Xi’an, China) and Xi’an Jiaotong University (Xi’an, China, No.2020 − 1240). Each eligible participant received a consent form with information regarding program objectives, procedures, potential risks, and benefits, as well as an explanation of privacy protection. All participants signed a written informed consent form to be a part of this study. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.
PubMed

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