Functional Decline as a Major Outcome of Geriatric Depression and Predictor of Its Trajectories: Longitudinal Evidence From the Health and Retirement Study (Hrs)
by Xinyi (Annie) Shan
Category: Social Science
Abstract – This research aimed to explore the relationships between functional or cognitive change and four late-life depression trajectories. The study involved 1,703 participants at four different time points across eight years. Paired-sample t-tests, adjusted binomial logistic regression, ANOVA, and ANCOVA were used for analysis. The study identified short-term functional change as a predictor for persistent depression and recovery and showed significant variations in long-term functional and cognitive change among the depression trajectories, demonstrating the importance of adapting functional limitations as part of late-life depression interventions and the need to recognize depression’s effects when improving function and cognition in depressed older adults.