Longitudinal Relationship Between Grave Visitation and Depressive Symptoms Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Participating in religious activities benefits older adults' mental health; however, the effects of grave visitation, a significant religious practice in Japan, on older adults' mental health remain unclear. Therefore, this study examined the relationship between grave visitation frequency and depressive symptoms.

A prospective cohort study of 273 community-dwelling older adults in Japan was conducted with baseline (2018) and follow-up (2022) assessments. Participants were categorized by visitation frequency: more or less than once a week. Changes in visitation frequency were classified as continued high, decreased, continued low, or increased. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15). Multivariable linear regressions were used to examine the association between visitation and depressive symptoms.

Lower visitation at baseline was associated with worse GDS-15 scores in the follow-up. Those with decreased or continued low visitation had significantly worse depressive symptoms. After adjusting for baseline GDS-15 scores and covariates, the decreased group had significantly worse depressive symptoms than the continued high group.

The findings indicate that changes in grave visitation frequency are significantly associated with depressive symptoms.

Supporting older adults' access to grave visitation through transportation or community programs may help maintain their well-being and emotional health.