A study on changes in depression types among the widowed older adults in South Korea

This study categorizes the latent class according to the change trajectory of depression types experienced by Korean older adults after the loss of a spouse and examines the determinants that derives each type. Using the Korea Welfare Panel Study (KoWePS), conducted from 2012 to 2021, data from 518 older adults aged 65 and over whose depression can be estimated for at least three years after widowhood were analyzed. A Growth Mixture Model (GMM) was applied to derive the types according to the changing patterns of depression, and a binary logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the factors affecting the derived types. As a result of the analysis, a total of two types were classified according to the change in depression. Type 1 was found to be a ‘reducing type’ in which the level of depression gradually decreased while maintaining certain level of depression, and for Type 2, an ‘increasing type’ in which the initial level of depression was higher than that of Type 1 and continued to increase thereafter. The older the individual, the more likely he or she is to live in an urban area rather than a suburban area, and if they have disability, the greater the probability that they belong to the 'increasing type' rather than the 'reducing type'. There was no significant relationship between gender, income, or education level and the type. Accordingly, it is necessary to find ways of reducing the likelihood that the depression level of the widowed older adults who fall into the 'increasing type', a risk group.