Negative life events and depressive symptoms in the elderly: a life span perspective

This study suggests that negative life events may have long-term consequences for people's well-being. A community sample of 194 elderly people was interviewed by means of the Geriatric Depression Scale and the Negative Life Events Questionnaire. Depressed mood at old age was related to the reporting of negative socio-economic circumstances as well as emotional abuse and neglect during childhood, and to the reporting of negative socio-economic circumstances, sexual abuse, emotional abuse and neglect, relational stress and problem behaviour of significant others during (late) adulthood. Depression scores were especially high when subjects reported the experience of many events during adulthood and late adulthood. On top of this, the interaction effect between the number of negative life events experienced in childhood and adulthood indicated that there was a much stronger association between the number of negative life events experienced in adulthood and depressive symptoms in late life, for those who experienced more negative life events in childhood, than for those who did not. It is suggested that incorporating life histories into the diagnostic interview is advisable.