The Relationship between Age and Depressive Symptoms: A Test of Competing Explanatory and Suppression Influences
Abstract
Objective: The objective is to examine competing explanatory and suppression influences on a negative, linear association between age and depressive symptoms. Methods:Two samples were used: a community sample of physically disabled individuals and a comparison sample matched on age, sex, and area of residence. Results:Fewer economic hardships and fewer experiences of negative interpersonal exchanges among older disabled and nondisabled respondents account for the negative relationship between age and depressive symptoms. Higher scores on a composite measure of religiosity among older disabled adults also account for part of the negative age effect. Conversely, a lower sense of mastery among older respondents in both samples suppresses the size of the negative age slope. Discussion:Findings are discussed in terms of stress process and socioemotional selectivity theories, which predict that personal and social arrangements influence the experience of emotions differentially across the life course.
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Of the 25 highest-rigor studies on R/S and self-esteem, 17 (68%) reported greater self-esteem and two (8%) found worse self-esteem.
“Of the 25 studies with the highest methodological rigor, 17 (68%) reported greater self-esteem [91–98] and two (8%) found worse self-esteem [99, 100].”
From Religion, Spirituality, and Health: The Research and Clinical Implications (2012) · cites this paper as [99]
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- Authors
- Schieman, S., van Gundy, K., & Taylor, J.
- Affiliations
- University of Maryland, College Park (US)
- University of New Hampshire
- Florida State University (US)
- Venue
- Journal of Aging and Health
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2002-05
- Volume
- 14
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 260-285
- ISSN
- 0898-2643 (ISSN-L)
- 1552-6887
- OpenAlex
- W2167210173
- Cited by
- 114
- References
- 70
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 42 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 6
- FWCI
- 2.54
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Aging and Health (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- University of New Hampshire Scholars Repository (University of New Hampshire at Manchester) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Aging and Gerontology Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Aging, Health, and Disability
- Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
- Keywords
- depressive symptoms, age, older adults, physical disability, economic hardship, interpersonal relationships, religiosity, sense of mastery, stress process theory, socioemotional selectivity theory, life course
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Age Factors, Aged, Aging, Depression, Female, Persons with Disabilities, Health Status, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Socioeconomic Factors, United States
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