Depressive Symptoms and Loneliness Among Black and White Older Adults: The Moderating Effects of Race.

ABSTRACT:

Background and objectives

Loneliness is consistently linked to worse depression/depressive symptoms; however, there are few studies that have examined whether the relationship between loneliness and depressive symptoms varies by race. The purpose of this study was to determine whether race moderated the relationship between loneliness and depressive symptoms.

Research design and methods

Data come from the 2014 wave of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) Core survey and Psychosocial Leave-Behind Questionnaire; only black and white older adults were included in the analysis (N = 6,469). Depressive symptoms were operationalized by the eight-item Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale; however, the "felt lonely" item was removed given concerns with collinea

SUBMITTER: Taylor HO 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7739884 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature