• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
• /
• v.20 no.10
• /
• pp.458-469
• /
• 2020

Geriatric depression is associated with pathological changes in the brain and increases the risk of cognitive impairment or dementia. However, high cognitive reserve, such as high education, can delay or minimize clinical manifestations of pathologies involving the brain, so the effect of geriatric depression on cognitive impairment or dementia may vary depending on the education level. In this study, the author analyzed data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA) to examine whether the effect of geriatric depression on cognitive function differed depending on education level. Among the 10,254 subjects registered in the KLoSA, the 4,905 subjects who met the inclusion criteria were analyzed by stepwise regression analysis. The results were as follows: first, depressive symptoms predicted low cognitive function after 12 years; second, the negative effect of depressive symptoms on cognitive function after 12 years was higher in the old adult group than in the young adult group; and third, the effect of age was significant only in the low-educated group. These results suggest that depressive symptoms in low-educated old adults may increase the risk of development of dementia in the long term.

• 한국노년학
• /
• v.28 no.4
• /
• pp.1179-1200
• /
• 2008

Knowledge about somatization (somatic manifestation of psychological distress symptoms) among immigrant populations is limited. While several studies have recognized somatization as a culturally distinctive expression of depression amongst older Korean immigrant population, somatization has not been incorporated into the comprehensive empirical model for depression of this population. In order to improve our general understanding of the phenomenon, the objective of this study is to empirically investigate principal contributing factors of somatization as well as inter-relationships among them. Data were collected from a cross-sectional community survey of 234 older Korean immigrants ($$age{\geq_-}55$$) in the New York metropolitan area. The statistical methodology employed a robust hierarchical regression procedure that iteratively downweights outliers. The results indicated that living arrangement, greater numbers of physical illnesses, and depression were significant explanatory factors of somatization. Furthermore, physical illness had a significant joint effect with perception of health on somatization, which confirms that positive perception of health exerts a moderating effect on the relationship between physical illness and somatization. The knowledge obtained from this study will contribute toward extending our knowledge on somatization and implementing more culturally sensitive mental health services for this population.

• The Journal of the Korean life insurance medical association
• /
• v.20
• /
• pp.70-77
• /
• 2001

Some characteristics of depression in the aged were elucidated. Compared with the previous thoughts, much more attention was given to the biological aspects of depression. However, we have to face up to and solve a variety of enigmas about depression in the aged people. They are:locations and underlying mechanisms in the cerebrum responsible for depression;relationship of senile depression to the presenile one;possible difference(s) between depression with and without psychotic features;possible neurotransmitter differences between senile and presenile depressions. New insights into these areas could bring some lights in the under standing and treatment of depresseion in the aged.

• Journal of Korean Medical Ki-Gong Academy
• /
• v.5 no.1
• /
• pp.45-64
• /
• 2001

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
• /
• v.28 no.2
• /
• pp.78-85
• /
• 2021

Objectives: When elderly patients show depressive symptoms, discrimination between depressive disorder and prodromal phase of Alzheimer's disease is important. We tested whether a quantitative electroencephalogram (qEEG) marker was associated with cerebral amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition in older adults with depression. Methods: Non-demented older individuals (≥ 55years) diagnosed with depression were included in the analyses (n = 63; 76.2% female; mean age ± standard deviation 73.7 ± 6.87 years). The participants were divided into Aβ+ (n = 32) and Aβ- (n = 31) groups based on amyloid PET assessment. EEG was recorded during the 7min eye-closed (EC) phase and 3min eye-open (EO) phase, and all EEG data were analyzed using Fourier transform spectral analysis. We tested interaction effects among Aβ positivity, condition (EC vs. EO), laterality (left, midline, or right), and polarity (frontal, central, or posterior) for EEG alpha band power. Then, the EC-to-EO alpha reactivity index (ARI) was examined as a neurophysiological marker for predicting Aβ+ in depressed older adults. Results: The mean power spectral density of the alpha band in EO phase showed a significant difference between the Aβ+ and Aβ- groups (F = 6.258, p = 0.015). A significant 3-way interaction was observed among Aβ positivity, condition, and laterality on alpha-band power after adjusting for age, sex, educational years, global cognitive function, medication use, and white matter hyperintensities on MRI (F = 3.720, p = 0.030). However, post-hoc analyses showed no significant difference in ARI according to Aβ status in any regions of interest. Conclusion: Among older adults with depression, increased power in EO phase alpha band was associated with Aβ positivity. However, EC-to-EO ARI was not confirmed as a predictor for Aβ+ in depressed older individuals. Future studies with larger samples are needed to confirm our results.

• 한국노년학
• /
• v.37 no.1
• /
• pp.1-14
• /
• 2017

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of vision and hearing limitation on the onset of disability among Korean elderly with the consideration of social participation and depression. Study population consisted of 2,670 people aged 65 and above who participated in both the 1st(2006) and 2nd(2008) wave of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging(KLoSA), and also reported no ADL or IADL disability in 2006. As the results, first, it found that vision and hearing limitation, social participation, and depression were significant risk factors for the onset of IADL disability in unadjusted analysis. After multivariable adjustment, however, only vision limitation showed significant association with the onset of IADL disability. Second, in the logistic analysis with four categorized variables(vision/hearing limitation + social participation, vision/hearing limitation + depression), the elderly who had vision or hearing limitation had a significantly 1.7 times higher odds ratio for disability onset if they also had low social participation compared with those who had no vision or hearing limitation, and high social participation. Whereas, depression was not significantly associated with the relationship between vision or hearing limitation, and disability onset. The study suggests that the intervention program developed to prevent social isolation of older people with vision or hearing limitation, may be helpful to reduce and postpone the risk of disability onset as well as early detection and treatment of vision or hearing problems.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
• /
• v.15 no.7
• /
• pp.264-281
• /
• 2015

Suicidal ideation has received much attention from both practitioners and researchers as Korean society becomes aging and individualistic. However, previous researches on the suicide ideation have focused on young generations instead of adults who seem to be more suffered from economic pressure and all kinds of exterior environments causing depression. Besides, there were research voids in the suicidal ideation area where depression was never taken into consideration. In this sense, we attempted to launch empirical studies on analyzing explanatory factors relevant to suicidal ideation in all the age groups by using KNHANES dataset from 2008~2012 years. Especially, we further analyzed KNHANES dataset to know how much depression affects suicidal ideation. Empirical results showed that depression is in a significant relationship with the suicidal ideation in all the demographic dimensions such as age, education, living area, etc.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.74-80
• /
• 2014

Objectives More than half of the elders suffer from chronic sleep disturbances. Moreover, sleep disturbances are more prevalent in patients with depressive disorder than in community dwelling elderly. In this study, we aim to estimate the risk factors of poor sleep quality and its effect on quality of life in patients with late life depression. Methods This study included 159 depressive patients aged 65 years or older who completed Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). A global PSQI score of 5 or greater indicates a poor sleeper. Structural diagnostic interviews were performed using the Korean version of Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). Depression was evaluated by the Korean form of Geriatric Depression Scale (KGDS). Global cognition was assessed by Mini-Mental State Examination in the Korean version of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease assessment packet. Quality of life was evaluated by the Korean version of Short-Form 36-Item Health Survey (SF-36). Results The frequencies of poor sleepers were 90.5% in major depressive disorder, 71.8% in minor depressive disorder, 47.1% in subsyndromal depressive disorder, and 73.0% in all types of depressive disorders. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that female [odds ratio (OR) = 2.83, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.20-6.67] and higher KGDS score (OR = 1.13, 95% CI = 1.05-1.21) were risk factors of poor sleep quality in patients with late life depression. In the analysis of ANCOVA adjusted for age, gender, education and KGDS score, the mean scores of vitality mental health and mental component summary of SF-36 were lower in poor sleepers than in good sleepers. Conclusions Poor sleepers among patients with late life depression are very common and are associated with female and higher KGDS scores. Poor sleep quality causes a significant negative effect on mental health quality. So researchers and clinicians should be more vigilant in the evaluation and treatment of sleep disturbances in patients with late life depression.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
• /
• v.10 no.3
• /
• pp.121-130
• /
• 2024

This study utilized data from 1,068 women aged 40-59, drawn from the 8th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) conducted in 2020, to investigate factors impacting subjective health perception and health-related quality of life. Methodologically, STATA 15.0 was employed for complex sample mean and standard deviation calculations, complex sample weighted percentages, complex sample t-tests, and multiple regression analyses. Common factors influencing both subjective health and health-related quality of life included education level, household size, depression, and stress. Age, binge drinking, and physical activity were identified as factors influencing subjective health perception. Insurance type, employment status, and sleep disorders emerged as factors impacting health-related quality of life. Recognizing middle age as a crucial transitional phase into old age, the development of health policy programs aimed at enhancing subjective health and health-related quality of life during this period is deemed essential.

• 한국노년학
• /
• v.31 no.2
• /
• pp.407-418
• /
• 2011

This study aim to examine effects of physical, psychological, social factors on elder's life satisfaction from KLIPS(Korea Labor & Institute Panel Study)'s data. Subjects were 4,032(men 1696, women 2336) aged 65 over. Physical factors include subjective physical health condition and ADL(Activities of daily living). Psychological factors include subjective emotional difficulty and depression(ces-d). Social factors include 7 meetings. Major findings in this study are follows. First, physical, psychological factors were a significant effects on elder's life satisfaction. But, in social factors, religious meeting, friendship meeting, leisure meeting, volunteer meeting were significant factors exclude reunion meeting, political meeting, etcetera meeting. Second, mediations of ADL, subjective emotional difficulties, and social participations were significant factors.