Depressive Symptoms and Quality of Life in Older Adults in Latvia: Do All Symptoms Matter Equally?

Objectives

Population ageing has been identified by the World Health Organization as a major global demographic change presenting significant challenges for health and social systems. Increasing evidence highlights the growing importance of mental health in the context of healthy ageing. This study aimed to assess the association between depressive symptoms and quality of life (QoL) among older adults in Latvia, a country with the lowest healthy life years in the European Union.

Materials and Methods

Data from wave 9 of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) (2022) were analysed using linear regression. QoL was measured using the self-reported CASP-12 scale. Depressive symptoms were self-assessed using the EURO-D scale, including both a depression indicator and 12 individual symptoms. Possible collinearity between all factors was tested. Models were adjusted for sex, age, education, and living area.

Results

The study included 1,643 individuals aged 50 + (61.4% women, mean age 68.2 (SD ± 9.8 years)). 23.4% (21.4–25.5 95% CI) met the criteria for depression. The mean QoL score was 34.4 (SD ± 5.7). After adjustment, depression was significantly associated with lower QoL (βa = -0.38, p < 0.001). At the symptom level, fatigue (βa = -0.22), sleep problems (βa = -0.14), pessimism (βa = -0.13), tearfulness (βa = -0.12), and depressed mood (βa = -0.10) showed the strongest associations (all p < 0.001). Concentration difficulties, suicidality, and reduced interest were also significantly associated with lower QoL, while guilt showed a weak inverse association (βa = 0.04, p = 0.048).

Conclusions

Depression and depressive symptoms remained significantly associated with QoL after adjustment for sociodemographic factors. Symptom-level analysis provides a more nuanced understanding of how depression relates to QoL and suggests that targeting specific symptoms, particularly fatigue, sleep disturbances, and pessimism, may improve QoL among older adults.

Key messages

• Depression and its symptoms are associated with lower quality of life among older adults, independent of sociodemographic factors, highlighting the importance of mental health in healthy ageing.

• Not all depressive symptoms equally affect quality of life. Fatigue, sleep problems, and pessimism show the strongest associations, suggesting the need for targeted interventions.