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

Objectives: 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.

Methods: 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.

Results: 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.

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

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