Adverse childhood experiences and late-life depression in older Chinese adults: the mediating roles of sleep disorders and chronic diseases.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are linked to depression in later life; however, the mediating pathways in older Chinese adults remain underexplored. Sleep disorders, highly prevalent in geriatrics, may mediate this pathway through chronic stress mechanisms, yet evidence from Asian cohorts is limited. This study examines the mediating roles of sleep duration, chronic diseases, and other factors in the ACEs-depression associations using a nationally representative sample.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of data from 6,585 adults aged 60 years and older, obtained from the 2020 wave of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). ACEs (range 0-12) were assessed via a 12-item scale, and depression via the CES-D-10 (cutoff ≥ 12). Me

SUBMITTER: Li Q 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12755008 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature