Association Between Social Engagement and Depression Severity Among the Elderly: A Community-Based Study

Irma Darmawati; Đặng Trần Ngọc Thanh; Agni Laili Perdani; Ridha Wahdini; Nadia Sintia Wardany

doi:10.23917/bik.v19i1.13200

Authors

Irma Darmawati Department of Nursing, Faculty of Sport and Health Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, 40154, Indonesia
Indonesia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2097-4457
Đặng Trần Ngọc Thanh Faculty of Nursing and Medical Technology, Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Viet Nam https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5287-0265
Agni Laili Perdani Department of Nursing, Faculty of Sport and Health Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, 40154, Indonesia
Indonesia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7105-1188
Ridha Wahdini Department of Nursing, Faculty of Sport and Health Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, 40154, Indonesia
Indonesia https://orcid.org/0009-0001-7766-1072
Nadia Sintia Wardany Department of Nursing, Faculty of Sport and Health Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, 40154, Indonesia
Indonesia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9601-4137

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.23917/bik.v19i1.13200

Abstract

Depression in the elderly is a public health issue that is sometimes influenced by low social interaction, but community-based studies are still limited. This study aims to analyze how social engagement relates to depression severity among elderly. This study used cross sectional approach and recruited 56 elderly participants aged 60–72 years. Depression level measured by the 30 item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Social engagement was assessed with the Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Spearman correlation, and linear regression analysis. Participants averaged score are 13.70 on depression (SD=5.77) and 17.57 on social engagement (SD=2.79). We found a negative correlation: less social contact linked to higher depression level (r = –0.288, p = 0.031). Regression confirmed this pattern which social engagement predicted depression levels (B = –0.398, p = 0.002). Social engagement is important to reduce depressive sign and symptoms among the elderly. Community-based programs is needed to strengthen social support to improve mental health in elderly.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Akyurek, G., Şimşek, R. D., & Arslan, Ö. B. (2025). Quality of life in older individuals with chronic diseases: The role of depression and daily functioning. Geriatrics and Gerontology International, 1301–1306. https://doi.org/10.1111/ggi.70141

Amati, V., Meggiolaro, S., Rivellini, G., & Zaccarin, S. (2018). Social relations and life satisfaction: the role of friends. Genus, 74(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41118-018-0032-z

Cacioppo, J. T., & Cacioppo, S. (2018). The growing problem of loneliness. The Lancet, 391(10119), 426. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)30142-9

Courtin, E., & Knapp, M. (2017). Social isolation, loneliness and health in old age: a scoping review. Health and Social Care in the Community, 25(3), 799–812. https://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.12311

Darmawati, I., Dharmansyah, D., Noviyanti, R., & Rohaedi, S. (2021). Implementing Benson’s Relaxation Therapy to Decrease Depression in Elderly. Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 17(6), 161–165. DOI: https://doi.org/10.37287/ijghr.v7i1.5276

Handajani, Y. S., Schröder-Butterfill, E., Hogervorst, E., Turana, Y., & Hengky, A. (2022). Depression among Older Adults in Indonesia: Prevalence, Role of Chronic Conditions and Other Associated Factors. Clinical Practice & Epidemiology in Mental Health, 18(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.2174/17450179-v18-e2207010

Hoang, P., King, J. A., Moore, S., Moore, K., Reich, K., Sidhu, H., Tan, C. V., Whaley, C., & McMillan, J. (2022). Interventions Associated With Reduced Loneliness and Social Isolation in Older Adults A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Network Open, 5(10), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.36676

Hoppler, S. S., Segerer, R., & Nikitin, J. (2022). The Six Components of Social Interactions: Actor, Partner, Relation, Activities, Context, and Evaluation. Frontiers in Psychology, 12(January), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.743074

Luo, M. (2023). Social Isolation, Loneliness, and Depressive Symptoms: A Twelve-Year Population Study of Temporal Dynamics. Journals of Gerontology - Series B Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 78(2), 280–290. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbac174

Nguyen, T. X. H., Tran, T. B. N., Dao, T. B., Barysheva, G., Nguyen, C. T., Nguyen, A. H., & Lam, T. S. (2022). Elderly People’s Adaptation to the Evolving Digital Society: A Case Study in Vietnam. Social Sciences, 11(8). https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11080324

Okely, J. A., & Gale, C. R. (2016). Well-being and chronic disease incidence: The English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Psychosomatic Medicine, 78(3), 335–344. https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000000279

Santini, Z. I., Jose, P. E., York Cornwell, E., Koyanagi, A., Nielsen, L., Hinrichsen, C., Meilstrup, C., Madsen, K. R., & Koushede, V. (2020). Social disconnectedness, perceived isolation, and symptoms of depression and anxiety among older Americans (NSHAP): a longitudinal mediation analysis. The Lancet Public Health, 5(1), e62–e70. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(19)30230-0

Sbarra, D. A., Ramadan, F. A., Choi, K. W., Treur, J. L., Levey, D. F., Wootton, R. E., Stein, M. B., Gelernter, J., & Klimentidis, Y. C. (2023). Loneliness and depression: bidirectional mendelian randomization analyses using data from three large genome-wide association studies. Molecular Psychiatry, 28(11), 4594–4601. DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02259-w

Szymkowicz, S. M., Gerlach, A. R., Homiack, D., & Taylor, W. D. (2023). Biological factors influencing depression in later life: role of aging processes and treatment implications. Translational Psychiatry, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-023-02464-9

Tough, H., Siegrist, J., & Fekete, C. (2017). Social relationships, mental health and wellbeing in physical disability: A systematic review. BMC Public Health, 17(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-017-4308-6

Vandenbroucke, J. P., Von Elm, E., Altman, D. G., Gøtzsche, P. C., Mulrow, C. D., Pocock, S. J., Poole, C., Schlesselman, J. J., & Egger, M. (2007). Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE): Explanation and elaboration. PLoS Medicine, 4(10), 1628–1654. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.0040297

Zhang, Y., Kuang, J., Xin, Z., Fang, J., Song, R., Yang, Y., Song, P., Wang, Y., & Wang, J. (2023). Loneliness, social isolation, depression and anxiety among the elderly in Shanghai: Findings from a longitudinal study. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 110(February). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.archger.2023.104980