Association of social participation and patterns with depression: analysis of data from the China health and retirement longitudinal study.

Background: Considering the significance of self-reported social participation in the context of depression, patterns of social engagement may influence the onset and progression of depressive disorders. This study aimed to elucidate the relationship between social behaviors and depressive symptoms.

Methods: Utilizing data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) over a nine-year span, we enrolled 9415 participants without depression in 2011 and monitored them for depressive symptoms until 2020. Baseline data included ten items related to social activities. We investigated the correlation between these social activity-related items, their major patterns, and the emergence of depressive symptoms, alongside varying depressive trajectories.

Results: Individual analysis of social activity-related items demonstrated significant correlations with a decreased risk of developing new depressive symptoms and adverse depressive trajectories. Pattern analysis indicated that a higher level of engagement in activities such as frequent interactions with friends (odds ratio [OR] = 0.79, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.70-0.89), participation in diverse societal activities (OR = 0.70, CI 0.62-0.80), and a combined pattern of internet use and friend interactions (OR = 0.60, CI 0.41-0.79) was associated with a lower risk of depression onset. Compared to individuals categorized in the societal isolation group, those with a higher adherence to these activity patterns exhibited a decreased risk of developing unfavorable depressive trajectories (ORs = 0.39 to 0.83).

Conclusions: Patterns of social engagement, particularly frequent interactions with friends, participation in a variety of societal activities, and the combined use of the internet with friend interactions, were inversely related to the risk of depression onset and worsening depressive trajectories. These findings emphasize that promoting social participation activities can serve as practical intervention tools to prevent depression, providing a foundation for strengthening public health policies aimed at fostering social connectivity and reducing the burden of depressive disorders.