Eyes Wide Open: The Relationship between Sensory Limitations & Elderly Depression

The population of older adults in the US will double over the next 15 years. According to the most recent Surgeon General’s Report on Mental Illness, almost 20% of older adults experience mental disorders not part of “normal” aging.  For those with chronic disease, the rate is over 25%. Depression, one of the most costly disorders in the United States, is particularly costly for older adults because of associated excess disability. Moreover, the rate of suicide, frequently a consequence of depression, is highest among older adults relative to all other age groups.  While the relationship between somatic illness and mental disorders is likely to be reciprocal, mechanisms are far from understood and there is a dearth of research regarding risks or protective factors for depression among older adults associated with neighborhood characteristics.  

This presentation presents the results of an initial exploration of this inter-relationship using data from the Healthy Indicators Project (HIP). The HIP database derives from an interview-based survey administered to a representative sample of 1,870 enrollees in New York City senior centers in 2008.  The HIP analysis finds the association with depression is highest with: visual impairment (p=.000); frequent falling (p=.000); lower income (p=.000); little leisure-time physical activity (p=.000); low neighborhood satisfaction (p=.000); trouble hearing (p=.000); arthritis/rheumatoid arthritis (p=.001); and being disabled (p=.005).