Latent Profile Analyses of Depressive Symptoms in Younger and Older Oncology Patients

The aging of America will include a significant increase in the number of older patients with cancer, many of whom will experience significant depressive symptoms. Although geriatric depression is a well-studied construct, its symptom presentation in the context of cancer is less clear. Latent profile analysis was conducted on depressive symptoms in younger (40-64 years) and older (≥65 years) patients with cancer (N = 636). The sample was clinically heterogeneous (i.e., included all stages, dominated by advanced stage disease). Participants completed questionnaires including the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, which was used for the latent profile analysis. A four-class pattern was supported for each age group. However, the four-class pattern was significantly different between the younger and older groups in terms of the item means within each corresponding latent class; differences were primarily driven by severity such that across classes, older adults endorsed milder symptoms. An unexpected measurement issue was uncovered regarding reverse-coded items, suggesting that they may generate unreliable scores on the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for a significant subset of patients. The results indicate that cancer clinicians can expect to see depressive symptoms along a continuum of severity for patients of any age, with less severe symptoms among older patients.