The relationship between social isolation, depressive symptoms and cognitive function in older adults: a longitudinal mediation study in China.

IF 3.6 2区医学 Q1 PSYCHIATRY

Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology Pub Date : 2025-02-20 DOI:10.1007/s00127-025-02837-z

Kerui Wang, Yinuo Zhou, Shaohui Su, Xin Jin, Lei Lei, Hao Ma, Aonan Liu, Yanfang Yang

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Purpose: Both social isolation and cognitive impairment are important public health issues that affect the quality of life of older adults. Our study aims to clarify the direction of their relationship and to illustrate the mediating role played by depressive symptoms.

Methods: Data from 5399 respondents who participated in three longitudinal surveys in the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey (CHARLS) were analyzed. Cross-lagged panel model was used to determine the longitudinal relationship between social isolation, depressive symptoms, and cognitive function.

Results: After controlling for confounders, higher levels of social isolation predicted subsequent more severe cognitive function score (wave1-wave2: β = - 0.039, SE = 0.015, P = 0.009; wave2-wave3: β = - 0.057, SE = 0.017, P = 0.001), and 37.5% of this effect was mediated through depressive symptoms (β = - 0.002, SE = 0.001, P = 0.022). Similarly, lower cognitive function predicted subsequent higher social isolation (wave1-wave2: β = - 0.062, SE = 0.014, P < 0.001; wave2-wave3: β = - 0.039, SE = 0.015, P = 0.009), but depressive symptoms did not play a mediating role in this process (β = - 0.001, SE = 0.001, P = 0.072).

Conclusion: There is a potential bidirectional relationship between social isolation and cognitive function in which depressive symptoms play a partially mediating role.

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来源期刊

Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 医学-精神病学

CiteScore

8.50

自引率

2.30%

发文量

184

审稿时长

3-6 weeks

期刊介绍： Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology is intended to provide a medium for the prompt publication of scientific contributions concerned with all aspects of the epidemiology of psychiatric disorders - social, biological and genetic. In addition, the journal has a particular focus on the effects of social conditions upon behaviour and the relationship between psychiatric disorders and the social environment. Contributions may be of a clinical nature provided they relate to social issues, or they may deal with specialised investigations in the fields of social psychology, sociology, anthropology, epidemiology, health service research, health economies or public mental health. We will publish papers on cross-cultural and trans-cultural themes. We do not publish case studies or small case series. While we will publish studies of reliability and validity of new instruments of interest to our readership, we will not publish articles reporting on the performance of established instruments in translation. Both original work and review articles may be submitted.