Positive affect predicts everyday problem-solving ability in older adults

Increased symptom endorsement on the short form of the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) Scale has been previously associated with lower everyday problem-solving (EPS) ability in older adults. However, given the multifactorial and complex nature of depressive symptoms, it remains unclear whether certain symptoms/aspects of depression account for this relationship. We examined established factor scores on the full version of the CES-D to assess their utility as predictors of EPS in an older adult cohort.

Community-dwelling older adults (n = 103; age: 51-91) were administered the CES-D along with a measure of EPS ability assessing both social and practical EPS. Regression analyses were used to determine the relationships between variables.

Analyses revealed that increased CES-D scores predicted worse EPS ability in older adults (β = -.17, p < .05) beyond the effects of age, gender, and education. Regression analyses examining each CES-D factor score revealed that decreased positive affect (loss of hope/enjoyment in life; β = -.21, p < .01) remained the only significant predictor of decreased overall EPS scores beyond demographic variables, while depressed affect, interpersonal, and somatic factors were not significant predictors. Positive affect predicted both practical, as well as social EPS scores.

Current results extend previous findings by showing that the relationship between increased depressive symptoms and decreased EPS ability in older age may be primarily driven by anhedonia as opposed to other depressive symptoms.