Abstract
The elderly are susceptible to depression, especially empty nesters. This study investigated the risk factors associated with depression in empty nesters. The participants were selected via multi-stage random cluster sampling. Depression symptoms were assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale. The questionnaire surveyed demographic characteristics, underlying diseases, behaviors and lifestyles, negative life experiences, social support, self-care ability, etc. Chronic health conditions, such as being overweight/obese, smoking cessation, cancer, and chronic pain, as well as negative life experiences, such as the death of a loved one and financial loss, increased the risk of depression in empty nesters. In addition, the incapability of performing self-care also increased the risk of depression in empty nesters. The prevalence of depression in empty nesters was high. Being overweight/obese, cancer, chronic pain, smoking cessation, the death of a loved one, financial loss, and the incapability to deliver self-care were risk factors for depression in empty nesters. It is recommended that comprehensive measures be taken to enhance health interventions for this population, including encouraging a proper diet and physical activity for weight control, providing psychological counseling after negative life experiences, and teaching correct methods of smoking cessation.
Highlights
The aging population phenomenon is a major social problem around the globe in the 21st century.At present, most people can expect to live to 60 or older as the youth mortality rate is greatly reduced and life expectancy continues to grow [1]
The Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) was used to evaluate the depressive symptoms of empty nesters
This study showed that the negative life experiences of losing loved ones and financial losses are risk factors for depression in empty nesters
Summary
Most people can expect to live to 60 or older as the youth mortality rate is greatly reduced and life expectancy continues to grow [1]. Combined with the decline in the fertility rate, the increase in life expectancy is leading to a rapid aging of the world’s population [1]. In China, as of the end of 2018, the number of people aged 60 or older was close to 250 million, accounting for 17.9% of the total population [2]. It is estimated that the proportion of empty-nest families will account for 90% of elderly families in 2030, when the elderly families in China will be empty-nested across the board [3,4]
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