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Epidemiology and Mental Health among Older Adults

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Mental Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 March 2023) | Viewed by 26435

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Matthew C. Lohman

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Guest Editor

Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Office for the Study of Aging, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
Interests: psychiatric epidemiology; gerontology; late-life depression; frailty; falls; healthy aging; long-term care; suicide among older adults

Dr. Karen Fortuna

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Assistant Guest Editor

Department of Psychiatry, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755-3529, USA
Interests: digital peer support; older adults, technology, mental health and physical health co-morbidities

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The proportion of adults aged 60 years and older in the population is expanding worldwide, and is expected to nearly double by 2050. With this expansion comes a growing need for public health research focused on improving and maintaining health and quality of life among older adults. There is growing recognition of the unique challenges to optimal mental health faced by older adults. Nearly 20% of older adults experience some type of mental health concern, most commonly but not limited to neurological disorders, depression, and substance abuse. Older adults with mental health disorders are at greater risk of functional and physical decline, disability, early mortality, and numerous other poor health outcomes. Moreover, poor mental health may adversely affect the course and treatment of other chronic mental and physical health conditions, leading to increased healthcare use and expenditures. These effects are compounded by the under-identification and under-treatment of mental health problems among older adults.

This Special Issue is intended to inform the development of policies and interventions to promote optimal mental health in aging, through population-based studies of the distribution and determinants of mental health in older adults. This includes but is not limited to the following topics:

Differences in the incidence and prevalence of mental health disorders by culture, race, region, urbanicity, and other characteristics;
Identification of social, environmental, and other determinants of mental health in later life;
Evaluation of population-based mental health interventions or policies;
Physiological outcomes associated with mental health disorders in later life;
Mental health in long-term care;
Polypharmacology and substance abuse;
Elder abuse;
Social isolation and loneliness.

Original articles, literature reviews, brief reports, and commentaries are welcomed.

Dr. Matthew Lohman
Dr. Karen Fortuna
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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Keywords

Older adults
Mental health
Epidemiology
Dementia

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

10 pages, 905 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Trigeminal Neuralgia Is a Dementia Risk Factor: A Retrospective Cohort Study

by Yung-Han Cheng, Chieh-Hsin Wu, Wei-Ting Wang, Ying-Yi Lu and Ming-Kung Wu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(10), 6073; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19106073 - 17 May 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2590

Abstract

Background: Dementia, a worldwide public-health issue, is regarded as a disorder rather than a normal aging process. Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a chronic debilitating pain disorder that impairs daily activities. Both are most prevalent in females and in patients older than 50 years. Recent studies reveal that pain and dementia may have a reciprocal interaction with each other. Objective: In response, we estimated whether adults with TN have an increased dementia risk. Methodology: By means of Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database, between 1996 and 2010, 762 patients aged over 50 years in the TN group were matched with 3048 patients in the non-TN group at a ratio of 1:4. Kaplan–Meier method and Cox proportional hazard regression models were also used to determine the cumulative incidence and compare the hazard ratios of dementia in each group. Results: The incidence of dementia was higher in the TN group compared to the non-TN group. After adjusting for covariates, the TN group had a 4.47-fold higher risk of dementia compared to the non-TN group. Additionally, the impact of TN on dementia risk was larger in young-aged patients than in old-aged patients. As well, the age at the time of dementia diagnosis was younger in the TN group compared to the non-TN group. Conclusions: TN is a dementia risk factor. Given the lack of a curative therapy for dementia, early identification of TN patients may help to prevent dementia sequelae. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epidemiology and Mental Health among Older Adults)

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18 pages, 748 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Factors Associated with the Acceptance of New Technologies for Ageing in Place by People over 64 Years of Age

by Sara Chimento-Díaz, Pablo Sánchez-García, Cristina Franco-Antonio, Esperanza Santano-Mogena, Isabel Espino-Tato and Sergio Cordovilla-Guardia

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(5), 2947; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19052947 - 3 Mar 2022

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3778

Abstract

Background: In the context of growing population ageing, technologies aimed at helping people age in place play a fundamental role. Acceptance of the implementation of technological solutions can be defined as the intention to use a technology or the effective use of it. Approaches based on the technology acceptance model (TAM) have been shown to have good predictive power for pre-implementation attitudes towards new technologies. Objective: To analyze the degree of acceptability of the use of new technologies for ageing in place and the factors associated with greater acceptance in people older than 64 years. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out. Sociodemographic, clinical and environmental variables, architectural barriers, social risk and quality of life, degree of autonomy, morbidity, and risk of falls were collected in a population sample over 64 years of age in a large region of western Spain. The degree of acceptance of the use of technologies was measured through a scale based on the TAM. Results: Of the 293 people included in the study, 36.2% exhibited a high acceptability of new technologies, 28.3% exhibited a medium acceptability, and 35.5% exhibited a low acceptability. Of all the factors, age, education level, and living alone were significantly associated with high acceptance in the adjusted analyses. Conclusions: Younger age, a higher education level, and living alone are factors associated with a greater degree of acceptance of the use of technologies for ageing in place. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epidemiology and Mental Health among Older Adults)

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9 pages, 554 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Employment Transitions and Mental Health in a Cohort of 45 Years and Older Australians

by Vikas Arya, Sandro Sperandei, Matthew J. Spittal and Andrew Page

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(17), 9030; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18179030 - 27 Aug 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2106

Abstract

Background: This study investigated the associations between employment transitions and psychological distress among a cohort of 45 years and older Australians. Methods: This study was based on the 45 and Up Study, a large prospective cohort of participants aged 45 years and older (N = 267,153), followed up over the period 2006–2015. The risk of psychological distress was compared between various employment transitions categories by specifying an ordered logistic regression model adjusting for confounders. Results: Compared to participants who remained employed at baseline and follow-up, higher psychological distress was found among those who transitioned from being employed to unemployed (OR = 2.68, 95%CI 2.13–3.33) and to not being in the labour force or retired (OR = 2.21, 95%CI 1.85–2.62). Higher psychological distress was also evident among those who remained unemployed from baseline to follow-up (OR = 2.00, 95%CI 1.10–3.43), and those who transitioned from being retired to being unemployed (OR = 1.55, 95%CI 1.03–2.27). Conversely, lower psychological distress was found among those who transitioned from being unemployed to being employed (OR = 0.35, 95%CI 0.25–0.51). In general, lower psychological distress was found among ‘positive’ employment transitions (transitioning to being employed or retired). Conclusions: Policies focussing on re-employment in older age, as well as unemployment schemes, might be helpful in reducing psychological distress among middle- and old-age Australians. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epidemiology and Mental Health among Older Adults)

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15 pages, 356 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Loneliness during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Comparison between Older and Younger People

by Mostafa Saidur Rahim Khan and Yoshihiko Kadoya

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(15), 7871; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18157871 - 25 Jul 2021

Cited by 37 | Viewed by 5223

Abstract

The precautionary measures and uncertainties surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic have serious psychological impacts on peoples’ mental health. We used longitudinal data from Hiroshima University to investigate loneliness before and during the pandemic among older and younger people in Japan. We provide evidence that loneliness among both older and younger people increased considerably during the pandemic. Although loneliness among younger people is more pervasive, the magnitude of increase in loneliness during the pandemic is higher among older people. Our logit regression analysis shows that age, subjective health status, and feelings of depression are strongly associated with loneliness before and during the pandemic. Moreover, household income and financial satisfaction are associated with loneliness among older people during the pandemic while gender, marital status, living condition, and depression are associated with loneliness among younger people during the pandemic. The evidence of increasing loneliness during the pandemic is concerning for a traditionally well-connected and culturally collectivist society such as Japan. As loneliness has a proven connection with both physical and mental health, we suggest immediate policy interventions to provide mental health support for lonely people so they feel more cared for, secure, and socially connected. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epidemiology and Mental Health among Older Adults)

14 pages, 356 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Neighborhood Characteristics and the Mental Health of Caregivers Cohabiting with Care Recipients Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease

by Dana M. Alhasan, Jana A. Hirsch, Chandra L. Jackson, Maggi C. Miller, Bo Cai and Matthew C. Lohman

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(3), 913; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18030913 - 21 Jan 2021

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3269

Abstract

While studies have documented the influence of caregiver and care recipient factors on caregiver health, it is important to address the potential impact of neighborhood contexts. This study estimated the cross-sectional associations between neighborhood characteristics and mental health among caregivers cohabiting with Alzheimer’s disease care recipients that were experiencing severe or non-severe neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPSs) (e.g., aggression/anxiety). We obtained data collected in 2010 on caregivers and care recipients (n = 212) from a subset of South Carolina’s Alzheimer’s Disease Registry. Neighborhood measures (within 1 mile of the residence) came from the American Community Survey and the Rural-Urban Commuting Area Code. We categorized the neighborhood median household income into tertiles, namely, “low” (<$31,000), “medium” ($31,000–40,758), and “high” (>$40,758), and rurality as “large urban,” “small urban,” and “rural.” We used negative binomial regression to estimate the prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for caregiver mental health using neighborhood characteristics. The mean age was 58 ± 10.3 years, 85% were women, and 55% were non-Hispanic Black. Among the caregivers cohabiting with a recipient experiencing severe NPS, higher distress was experienced by caregivers living in low- (PR = 1.61 (95% CI = 1.26–2.04)) and medium- (PR = 1.45 (95% CI = 1.17–1.78)) vs. high-income neighborhoods after an adjustment. These results suggest that neighborhood characteristics may amplify other social stressors experienced by caregivers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epidemiology and Mental Health among Older Adults)

13 pages, 341 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Association between Proximity of the Elementary School and Depression in Japanese Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study from the JAGES 2016 Survey

by Megumi Nishida, Masamichi Hanazato, Chie Koga and Katsunori Kondo

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(2), 500; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18020500 - 9 Jan 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3590

Abstract

Depression among older adults is one of the most critical public health issues. The proximity of elementary schools has been positively associated with neighborhood social cohesion and quality of life. However, no studies have identified an association between the proximity of elementary school and older adults’ mental health. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the association between the proximity of elementary schools, one of the core facilities of neighborhood communities in Japan, and depression in older adults. A total of 131,871 participants (63,430 men 73.7 ± 6.1 years, 68,441 women 73.8 ± 6.2 years) were analyzed from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES) 2016 survey. Logistic regression analysis showed that there was no association between distance to elementary school and depression among males. However, among females, compared with the participants living within 400 m from the nearest elementary school, the odds ratio of depression for those living between 400 and 799 m and more than 800 m away were 1.06 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.00–1.12) and 1.07 (95% CI 1.00–1.15), respectively. The findings may be useful when considering the design of communities around elementary schools and the planning of facilities as a population-based approach to promote mental health of older women. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epidemiology and Mental Health among Older Adults)

9 pages, 699 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Time-Varying Insomnia Symptoms and Incidence of Cognitive Impairment and Dementia among Older US Adults

by Nicholas V. Resciniti, Valerie Yelverton, Bezawit E. Kase, Jiajia Zhang and Matthew C. Lohman

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(1), 351; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18010351 - 5 Jan 2021

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 4635

Abstract

There is conflicting evidence regarding the association between insomnia and the onset of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia. This study aimed to evaluate if time-varying insomnia is associated with the development of MCI and dementia. Data from the Health and Retirement Study (n = 13,833) from 2002 to 2014 were used (59.4% female). The Brief Insomnia Questionnaire was used to identify insomnia symptoms which were compiled in an insomnia severity index, ranging from 0 to 4. In analysis, participants’ symptoms could vary from wave-to-wave. Dementia was defined using results from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) global cognitive assessment tool. Respondents were classified as either having dementia, MCI, or being cognitively healthy. Cox proportional hazards models with time-dependent exposure using the counting process (start-stop time) were used for analysis. For each one-unit increase in the insomnia symptom index, there was a 5-percent greater hazard of MCI (HR = 1.05; 95% CI: 1.04–1.06) and dementia (HR = 1.05; 95% CI: 1.03–1.05), after fully adjusting. Using a nationally representative sample of adults age 51 and older, this study found that time-varying insomnia symptoms are associated with risk of MCI and dementia. This highlights the importance of identifying sleep disturbances and their change over time as potentially important risk factors for MCI and dementia. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epidemiology and Mental Health among Older Adults)

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