Racial, Ethnic, and Sociodemographic Differences in the Level of Psychosocial Distress among Older Americans

Abstract

More than 2 million older Americans suffer from some form of depression. Yet late-life depression is often undiagnosed or underdiagnosed. The aim of this study was to explore the reasons for the observed differences in the level of depressive symptoms between older African Americans, Hispanics, and Whites. The data are from Wave 1 of the Asset and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old survey administered during 1993-1994. Ordinary least-squares regression results indicate that language acculturation, the number of years of education, and the number of years of U.S. residency are significant factors that help to explain differences in self-reported levels of depressive symptoms among this older population. In general, those who are men, are married, have more education, and are in better health have lower levels of depressive symptoms.

Risk Factors for Depressive Illness among Elderly Gopd Attendees at Upth

“…This is consistent with most other findings. 37,3,11,12 This could be attributed to lack of social support and decreased income especially on the part of the women, who had lost their breadwinner, who themselves for the most part had little formal education and skills and who, had often been dispossessed of their family belongings by negative cultural practices.…”

“…Finally, low socio-economic status, poor educational background and widowhood are sociodemographic factors associated with depression in the elderly. 10,11,12 . It is worthy of note that exercise has been shown to improve depressive symptoms and overall health outcomes in elderly patients with depressive illness.…”

Looking Beyond Nativity: The Relation of Age of Immigration, Length of Residence, and Birth Cohorts to the Risk of Onset of Psychiatric Disorders for Latinos

“…Recent studies have looked beyond nativity to examine the effect of migration differences, such as age of arrival to the U.S. and length of U.S. residence on the mental health of Latino immigrants (J. Angel & Angel, 1992;Mills & Henretta, 2001;Portes & Rumbaut, 2001;Singh & Siahpush, 2001;Vega & Gil, 1998;Vega et al, 2002;Vega, Sribney, Aguilar-Gaxiola, & Kolody, 2004;Warheit, Vega, Khoury, & Gil, 1996). These findings provide a more complicated picture of the immigrant experience and indicate that factors beyond nativity contribute to the risk of poor mental health.…”

“…These factors may signal critical windows of opportunity for interfacing with U.S. society, and consequently differential risks for negative outcomes. Research findings suggest that Latino immigrants are at higher risk for psychiatric disorders when immigrating during two life cycle periods: before the age of 16 (Vega et al, 2002;Vega et al, 2004), or after the age of 35 (Mills & Henretta, 2001). …”

“…However, they may also be at increasing risk of feeling uprooted, of not achieving English linguistic proficiency, or of possibly not transporting their educational or professional qualifications to the host society (Kaplan & Marks, 1990), thereby increasing their risk of mental disorders. For example, Mills and Henretta (Mills & Henretta, 2001) found that immigrants who came to the U.S. after age 35 were more depressed than those arriving at an earlier age. Other studies have indicated that difficulties associated with immigration late in life, such as low English language acquisition and social isolation, may undermine an older person's morale, leading to augmented risk for illness and dysfunction (Angel & Angel, 1992;Angel, Angel, Geum-Yong, & Markides, 1999).In addition, isolation from the mainstream culture may also prevent older immigrants from serving as protective agents and mediators for their children's interactions with harmful aspects of U.S. culture (Berry, 1998;Elder et al, 2005).…”