OBJECTIVE: Depression is particularly prevalent in low-income and disabled older adults, and minority populations face a greater risk of poverty and earlier disability onset. Yet, little is known about the mental health of older subsidized housing residents, a population which is disproportionately composed of persons of color. The study's aim was therefore to explore the prevalence and correlates of depression in this target population, with a particular focus on the role of loneliness. METHOD: Data are from interviews with 216 older subsidized housing residents, of which 50% identified as Black and 45% self-identified as Latino. RESULTS: About 26% of participants met the criterion for depression. The hierarchical regression supported our hypothesis; after controlling for demographic, health, and stress variables, loneliness explained almost half of the total 49% of variance in depression. DISCUSSION: Care models addressing social risk factors are needed to meet the aging-in-place challenges of subsidized housing residents.
OBJECTIVE:Depression is particularly prevalent in low-income and disabled older adults, and minority populations face a greater risk of poverty and earlier disability onset. Yet, little is known about the mental health of older subsidized housing residents, a population which is disproportionately composed of persons of color. The study's aim was therefore to explore the prevalence and correlates of depression in this target population, with a particular focus on the role of loneliness. METHOD: Data are from interviews with 216 older subsidized housing residents, of which 50% identified as Black and 45% self-identified as Latino. RESULTS: About 26% of participants met the criterion for depression. The hierarchical regression supported our hypothesis; after controlling for demographic, health, and stress variables, loneliness explained almost half of the total 49% of variance in depression. DISCUSSION: Care models addressing social risk factors are needed to meet the aging-in-place challenges of subsidized housing residents.
Authors: Halyna Lugova; Jo Ann Andoy-Galvan; Sapna S Patil; Yin How Wong; Gul M Baloch; Adlina Suleiman; Rusli Nordin; Karuthan Chinna Journal: Community Ment Health J Date: 2021-01-08