Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
 QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]
Author:
Keyword(s):
Year:  Vol:  Page: 


This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Cited by other online articles
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Kraaij, V.
Right arrow Articles by Spinhoven, P.
Right arrow Articles citing this Article
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Kraaij, V.
Right arrow Articles by Spinhoven, P.
The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences 57:P87-P94 (2002)
© 2002 The Gerontological Society of America


RESEARCH ARTICLE

Negative Life Events and Depression in Elderly Persons

A Meta-Analysis

Vivian Kraaija, Ella Arensmana and Philip Spinhovena

a Division of Clinical and Health Psychology, Leiden University, The Netherlands

Vivian Kraaij, Division of Clinical and Health Psychology, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9555, 2300 RB Leiden, The Netherlands E-mail: Kraaij{at}fsw.LeidenUniv.nl.

Decision Editor: Toni C. Antonucci, PhD

In a meta-analysis of 25 studies, the relationship of both specific types of negative life events and the total number of experienced events to depression in old age was studied. Almost all negative life events appeared to have a modest but significant relationship with depression. The total number of negative life events and the total number of daily hassles appeared to have the strongest relationship with depression (respectively, combined r = .15, n = 5,037, and combined r = .41, n = 461), whereas sudden unexpected events were the only cluster of negative life events that seemed not to be related to depression scores (combined r = .05, n = 857). These findings suggest that providers and developers of intervention and prevention programs for elderly people should pay attention to the occurrence of negative life events. Special attention should be given to elderly people who have experienced an accumulation of stressful events and daily hassles, because they seem to be a group at greater risk.




This article has been cited by other articles: (Search Google Scholar for Other Citing Articles)


Home page
J Aging HealthHome page
C. L. van den Brink, G. A. M. van den Bos, M. Tijhuis, S. Aijanseppa, A. Nissinen, S. Giampaoli, and D. Kromhout
Hierarchy Levels, Sum Score, and Worsening of Disability Are Related to Depressive Symptoms in Elderly Men From Three European Countries
J Aging Health, February 1, 2006; 18(1): 125 - 141.
[PDF]


Home page
J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc SciHome page
A. Fiske, M. Gatz, and N. L. Pedersen
Depressive Symptoms and Aging: The Effects of Illness and Non-Health-Related Events
J. Gerontol. B. Psychol. Sci. Soc. Sci., November 1, 2003; 58(6): P320 - 328.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]




HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
All GSA journals The Gerontologist
Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences
Copyright © 2002 by The Gerontological Society of America.