The association of widowhood and living alone with depression among older adults in India

Abstract

Widowhood is a catastrophic event at any stage of life for the surviving partner particularly in old age, with serious repercussions on their physical, economic, and emotional well-being. This study investigates the association of marital status and living arrangement with depression among older adults. Additionally, the study aims to evaluate the effects of factors such as socio-economic conditions and other health problems contributing to the risk of depression among older adults in India. This study utilizes data from the nationally representative Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI-2017–18). The effective sample size was 30,639 older adults aged 60 years and above. Descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis have been performed to determine the prevalence of depression. Further, binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to study the association between marital status and living arrangement on depression among older adults in India. Overall, around nine percent of the older adults suffered from depression. 10.3% of the widowed (currently married: 7.8%) and 13.6% of the older adults who were living alone suffered from depression. Further, 8.4% of the respondents who were co-residing with someone were suffering from depression. Widowed older adults were 34% more likely to be depressed than currently married counterparts [AOR: 1.34, CI 1.2–1.49]. Similarly, respondents who lived alone were 16% more likely to be depressed compared to their counterparts [AOR: 1.16; CI 1.02, 1.40]. Older adults who were widowed and living alone were 56% more likely to suffer from depression [AOR: 1.56; CI 1.28, 1.91] in reference to older adults who were currently married and co-residing. The study shows vulnerability of widowed older adults who are living alone and among those who had lack of socio-economic resources and face poor health status. The study can be used to target outreach programs and service delivery for the older adults who are living alone or widowed and suffering from depression.

Social support moderates the association of functional difficulty with major depression among community-dwelling older adults: evidence from LASI, 2017–18

“…The results revealed that marital status was a significant predictor for major depression among older adults, indicating that currently unmarried older adults who are predominantly those who widowed in the current study have higher levels of depression than married people. This significant association is supported by substantial literature from India as well as other countries [ 26 , 63 , 64 ]. Gahler highlights that marital dissolution is associated with severe social discord and confers an increased risk for psychological distress and overall health deterioration [ 65 ].…”

“…Also, residing with family is most preferred and satisfactory living arrangement among older people in India which is associated with improved psychological wellbeing [ 23 – 25 ]. A recent study in India found that older adults who lived alone and were widowed had higher chances of depression [ 26 ]. Similarly, the impaired social relationships are associated with depression, and other mental and physical illnesses [ 27 ].…”

Multimorbidity and depression among older adults in India: Mediating role of functional and behavioural health

“…In the Indian context, the majority of studies on health problems and ageing have focussed on the consequences of individual diseases among older adults. For instance, studies by Chauhan et al (2021) and Srivastava et al (2021) have evaluated the repercussions of living arrangements and other behaviour health factors on depression among older adults in India [ 40 , 41 ]. A community level study on primary care population in India estimated high prevalence of multimorbidity among older adults, women and individuals of high socioeconomic status, and significant gender differences in prevalence of multimorbidity have been reported [ 42 , 43 ].…”

Relationship between tobacco use, alcohol consumption and non-communicable diseases among women in India: evidence from National Family Health Survey-2015-16

“…Caste was coded as Scheduled Tribe, Scheduled Caste, Other Backward Class and others [ 23 ]. Others include those who were identified as having higher social status [ 24 , 25 ]. Place of residence was coded as urban and rural.…”