Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 25, 2026

A New Method for Inducing a Depression-Like Behavior in Rats
Published on: February 22, 2018
The effect of a communal lifestyle on depressive symptoms in late life
Tzvia Blumstein1, Yael Benyamini, Zahava Fuchs
1The Gertner Institute for Epidemiology, and Health Policy Research, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, 52621, Israel. tzviabl@gertner.health.gov.il
Objectives:
This study compares depression levels among lifetime kibbutz members (n = 525) and old-age kibbutz residents (n = 366) with a comparable national sample (n = 412) and assesses the relationship between depression and individual differences related to lifetime in a kibbutz (e.g., health) and those related to current living conditions (e.g., social network).
Methods:
The analysis is based on data from the Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Aging Study conducted in Israel between 1989 and 1992 and the follow-up during 1993 and 1994.
Results:
The findings indicate significantly lower depressive symptomatology among women, but not among men, residing in kibbutz communities. The women's lower level of depressive symptoms appears to be a result of better physical and mental functioning among kibbutz members and of such favorable lifestyle characteristics as frequent contact with their children among old-age kibbutz residents.
Discussion:
Both lifetime and current living conditions contribute to better mental health of women in the kibbutz at older ages.
Related Concept Videos
Long-term Depression
Long-term Depression
Calcium Ion Concentration Mechanism
If over time, all...
Depressive Disorders: Etiology
Biological Factors in Depression
Biological predispositions significantly influence the risk of developing depressive disorders. Genetic studies highlight the role of variations in the serotonin transporter...
Depressive Disorders: MDD and Dysthymia
Negative and Cognitive Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Negative Symptoms
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia manifest as deficits in normal emotional and behavioral functioning, profoundly impacting daily life. Individuals with schizophrenia often display a flat affect, characterized by a near-total absence of emotional expression,...
Social Relationships and Well-Being