Prevalence and factors associated with anxiety and depression among community-dwelling older adults in Hunan, China: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background Older adults’ psychological health is a public health issue that cannot be ignored, especially when these psychological health problems and related factors change across different social backgrounds because of rapid changes in traditions and family structures and the epidemic responses after the outbreak of COVID-19 in China. The aim of our study is to determine the prevalence of anxiety and depression and their associated factors among community-dwelling older adults in China. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from March to May 2021 with 1173 participants aged 65 years or above from three communities in Hunan Province, China who were selected using convenience sampling. A structured questionnaire including sociodemographic characteristics, clinical characteristics, the Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS), the 7-Item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7), and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 Item (PHQ-9) was used to collect relevant demographic and clinical data and to measure social support status, anxiety symptoms, and depressive symptoms, respectively. Bivariate analyses were conducted to explore the difference in anxiety and depression based on samples’ different characteristics. The multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to test for significant predictors of anxiety and depression. Results The prevalence of anxiety and depression were 32.74% and 37.34%, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that being female, being unemployed before retirement age, lacking physical activity, having physical pain, and having three or more comorbidities were significant predictors for anxiety. Subjective social support and support utilization were significant protective factors. Regarding depression, religion, lacking physical activity, having physical pain, having three or more comorbidities were found to be significant predictors. Support utilization was a significant protective factor. Conclusions The study group showed a high prevalence of anxiety and depression. Gender, employment status, physical activity, physical pain, comorbidities, and social support were associated with psychological health problems of older adults. These findings suggest that governments should focus on the psychological health problems of older adults by raising community awareness of issues related to older adults’ psychological health. They should also screen for anxiety and depression among high-risk groups and encourage individuals to seek supportive counseling.

Prevalence of COVID‐19 anxiety, geriatric anxiety, and related factors among the elderly in Quchan, Iran during the COVID‐19 pandemic: a cross‐sectional study

“…43 In this study, it was observed that elderly individuals who engaged in regular daily walks experienced lower levels of anxiety. This finding aligns with the results of studies conducted by Lu L et al, and Sirin et al 40,45 Exercise, particularly through activities like daily walking, stands out as one of the most important and accessible methods to manage anxiety among the elderly. Engaging in physical activity, increasing social interactions, and fostering an active lifestyle can yield several benefits, including enhanced self-esteem, increased empowerment, reduced mental stress, improved physical and mental health, boosted immunity, and redirection of attention away from anxiety-inducing stimuli.…”

“…The findings of this study demonstrate that comorbidity contributes to increased anxiety among the elderly, which is in line with the results of previous research by Lu L et al ., Raeisvandi et al ., Cho et al ., and Wang et al 10,39–41 . The elderly participants in Zhang's study (2023) had an average of 4.1 diseases, with one‐fifth of them experiencing six or more concurrent illnesses.…”

“…In this study, it was observed that elderly individuals who engaged in regular daily walks experienced lower levels of anxiety. This finding aligns with the results of studies conducted by Lu L et al ., and Sirin et al 40,45 . Exercise, particularly through activities like daily walking, stands out as one of the most important and accessible methods to manage anxiety among the elderly.…”

How Does Insomnia Affect Depression and Anxiety in Patients With Insomnia Disorder? A Symptom-Level Analysis

“…This was consistent with the results of a study that investigated the bidirectional relationship between insomnia, depression, and anxiety among 625 participants who complained of strong anxiety where 62% were women, and of the 416 participants who complained of high levels of depression, 60% were female [7]. In general, depression/ anxiety increases with age, and according to a cross-sectional study conducted in China, women experience more anxiety and depression than men, and patients with low education or low income experience higher levels of depression and anxiety, especially older adults [20]. However, the results of this study showed that it was different in insomnia patients, therefore, it can be speculated that younger people suffer more from insomnia.…”

Physical Exercise Transforms the Topography and Increases the Invulnerability of the Symptom Network of Depression–Anxiety in the Elderly

“…Unfortunately, older adults have a higher prevalence of mental disorders compared to younger people (Andreas et al 2017). Among these disorders, depression and anxiety are common among the elderly, with incidence rates exceeding 30% (Lu et al 2023). Geriatric depression (McCall and Kintziger 2013) and anxiety (Yang et al 2021) have become important public health concerns.…”