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. 2016 Aug;38(6):619-42.
doi: 10.1177/0164027515595442. Epub 2015 Aug 4.

Depressive Symptoms, Transitions to Widowhood, and Informal Support From Adult Children Among Older Women and Men in Japan

Andrew D Tiedt  1 , Yasuhiko Saito  2 , Eileen M Crimmins  3
Affiliations

Depressive Symptoms, Transitions to Widowhood, and Informal Support From Adult Children Among Older Women and Men in Japan

Andrew D Tiedt et al. Res Aging. 2016 Aug.

Abstract

This study examines the relationships among depressive symptoms, transitions to widowhood, worsening health, and family support in Japan over 10 years. The analyses focus on availability and receipt as the two primary dimensions of intergenerational support relationships. We used growth curve models to analyze data from the Nihon University Japanese Longitudinal Study of Aging, finding that (1) becoming widowed correlated with increased depressive symptoms and this relationship was weaker among women than men, (2) continuous widowhood was associated with fewer depressive symptoms over time, (3) transitions to coresidence with sons and daughters among the widowed was correlated with reduced depressive symptoms, (4) self-reported health and difficulty with activities of daily living were predictors of depressive symptoms over time. The findings suggest the importance of new research on household transitions, availability and proximity of family caregivers, and social embeddedness as protections against depressive symptoms.

Keywords: cross-national research; depressive symptoms; health; intergenerational support; widowhood.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Fitted values of depressive symptoms trajectories by widowhood, gender, and coresidence.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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