Objective: The objective is to examine competing explanatory and suppression influences on a negative, linear association between age and depressive symptoms. Methods:Two samples were used: a community sample of physically disabled individuals and a comparison sample matched on age, sex, and area of residence. Results:Fewer economic hardships and fewer experiences of negative interpersonal exchanges among older disabled and nondisabled respondents account for the negative relationship between age and depressive symptoms. Higher scores on a composite measure of religiosity among older disabled adults also account for part of the negative age effect. Conversely, a lower sense of mastery among older respondents in both samples suppresses the size of the negative age slope. Discussion:Findings are discussed in terms of stress process and socioemotional selectivity theories, which predict that personal and social arrangements influence the experience of emotions differentially across the life course.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Bossé, R. , Aldwin, C. M., Levenson, M. R., & Ekerdt, D. J. (1987). Mental health differences among retirees and workers: Findings from the Normative Aging Study. Psychology and Aging, 2, 383-389.
2.
Carstensen, L. L. (1993). Motivation for social contact across the life span: A theory of socioemotional selectivity. In J. E. Jacobs (Ed.), Nebraska symposium on motivation(pp. 209-254). Lincoln: Nebraska University Press.
3.
Charles, S. T. , Reynolds, C. A., & Gatz, M. (2001). Age-related differences and change in positive and negative affect over 23 years. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 80, 136-151.
4.
Clark-Plaskie, M. ,& Lachman, M. E. (1999). The sense of control in midlife. In S. L. Lewis& J. D. Reid (Eds.), Life in the middle: Psychosocial and social development in middle age(pp. 181-208). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
5.
Drentea, P. (2000). Age, debt, and anxiety. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 41, 437-450.
6.
Ellison, C. G. (1994). Religion, the life stress paradigm, and the study of depression. In J. S. Levin (Ed.), Religion in aging and health(pp. 78-121). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
7.
Feinson, M. C. (1985). Aging and mental health: Distinguishing myth from reality. Research on Aging, 7, 155-174.
8.
Ferraro, K. F. (1989). Widowhood and health. In K. S. Markides & C. L. Cooper (Eds.), Aging, stress, and health(pp. 69-89). Chichester, UK: Wiley.
9.
Gallo, W. T. , Bradley, E. H., & Siegel, M. (2000). Health effects of involuntary job loss among older workers: Findings from the Health and Retirement Survey. Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 55B, S131-S140.
10.
Gatz, M. ,& Zarit, S. H. (1999). Agood old age: Paradox or possibility? InV. L. Bengtson& K. W. Schaie (Eds.), Handbook of theories of aging(pp. 396-416). New York: Springer.
11.
Gecas, V. (1989). The social psychology of self-efficacy. Annual Review of Sociology, 15, 291-316.
12.
Gross, J. J. , Cartensen, L. L., Pasupathi, M., Tsai, J., Skorpen, C. G.,& Hsu, A.Y.C. (1997). Emotion and aging: Experience, expression, and control. Psychology and Aging, 12, 590-599.
13.
Katz, S. , Ford, A., Moskowitz, R., Jackson, B.,& Jaffe, M. (1963). Studies of illness in the aged: The index of ADL. Journal of the American Medical Association, 183, 914-919.
14.
Kessler, R. C. , Foster, C., Webster, P. S.,& House, J. S. (1992). The relationship between age and depressive symptoms in two national surveys. Psychology and Aging, 7, 119-126.
15.
Keyes, C.L.M. ,& Ryff, C. D. (1999). Psychological well-being in midlife. In S. Willis& J. Reid (Eds.), Life in the middle: Psychological and social development in middle age(pp. 161-180). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
16.
Koenig, H. G. (1995). Religion and health in later life. In M. A. Kimble, S. H. McFadden, J. Ellor,& J. J. Seeber (Eds.), Aging, spirituality, and religion: A handbook(pp. 9-29). Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press.
17.
Levin, J. S. , & Chatters, L. M. (1998). Religion, health, and psychological well-being in older adults. Journal of Health and Aging, 10, 504-531.
18.
Levinson, D. , Darrow, J. C., & Kline, E. (1978). The seasons of man’s life. New York: Knopf.
19.
Lichtenstein, P. , Gatz, M.,& Pedersen, N. L. (1996). Aco-twin-control study of response to widowhood. Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 51B, P279-P289.
20.
McFadden, S. H. (1996). Religion, spirituality, and aging. In J. E. Birren & K. Warner Schaie (Eds.), Handbook of the psychology of aging(pp. 41-52). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
21.
McFadden, S. H. , & Levin, J. S. (1996). Religion, emotions, and health. In C. Magai & S. H. McFadden (Eds.), Handbook of emotion, adult development, and aging(pp. 349-365). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
22.
Mirowsky, J. (1995). Age and the sense of control. Social Psychology Quarterly, 58, 31-43.
23.
Mirowsky, J. , & Reynolds, J. R. (2000). Age, depression, and attrition in the National Survey of Families and Households. Sociological Methods and Research, 28, 476-504.
24.
Mirowsky, J. , & Ross, C. E. (1989). Social causes of psychological distress. New York: Aldine de Gruyter.
25.
Mirowsky, J. ,& Ross, C. E. (1992). Age and depression. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 33, 187-205.
26.
Mirowsky, J. ,& Ross, C. E. (1999a). Economic hardship across the life course. American Sociological Review, 64, 548-569.
27.
Mirowsky, J. , & Ross, C. E. (1999b). Well-being across the life course. In A. V. Horwitz & T. L. Scheid (Eds.), Handbook for the study of mental health: Social contexts, theories, and systems(pp. 328-347). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
28.
Moen, P. , Jungmeen, K. E.,& Hofmeister, H. (2001). Couples’work/retirement transitions, gender, and marital quality. Social Psychology Quarterly, 64, 55-71.
29.
Musick, M. A. (1996). Religion and subjective health among Black and White elders. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 37, 221-238.
30.
Newmann, J. P. (1989). Aging and depression. Psychology and Aging, 4, 150-165.
31.
Pearlin, L. I. (1983). Role strains and personal stress. In H. Kaplan (Ed.), Psychosocial stress: Trends in theory and research(pp. 3-32). New York: Academic Press.
32.
Pearlin, L. I. (1999). Stress and mental health: A conceptual overview. In A. V. Horwitz & T. L. Scheid (Eds.), A handbook for the study of mental health(pp. 161-175). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
33.
Pearlin, L. I. , & Schooler, C. (1978). The structure of coping. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 19, 2-21.
34.
Pearlin, L. I. , & Skaff, M. M. (1996). Stress and the life course: A paradigmatic alliance. The Gerontologist, 36, 239-247.
35.
Pitcher, P. B. , & Larson, D. C. (1989). Elderly widowhood. In S. Bahr & E. Peterson (Eds.), Aging and the family(pp. 59-82). New York: Lexington.
36.
Radloff, L. S. (1977). The CES-D Scale: A new self-report depression scale for research in the general population. Applied Psychological Measurement, 1, 385-401.
37.
Rodin, J. (1986). Aging and health: Effects of the sense of control. Science, 233, 1271-1276.
38.
Ross, C. E. , & Drentea, P. (1998). Consequences of retirement activities for distress and the sense of personal control. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 39, 317-334.
39.
Ross, C. E. , & Huber, J. (1985). Hardship and depression. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 26, 312-327.
40.
Ross, C. E. ,& Sastry, J. (1999). The sense of personal control: Social-structural causes and emotional consequences. In C. S. Aneshensel& J. C. Phelan (Eds.), Handbook of the sociology of mental health(pp. 369-394). New York: Klewer Academic/Plenum.
41.
Ross, C. E. , & VanWilligen, M. (1997). Education and the subjective quality of life. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 38, 275-297.
42.
Ryff, C. D. (1989). Happiness is everything, or is it? Explorations on the meaning of social psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57, 1069-1081.
43.
Sastry, J. , & Ross, C. E. (1998). Asian ethnicity and the sense of control. Social Psychology Quarterly, 61, 101-120.
44.
Schieman, S. (1999). Age and anger. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 40, 273-289.
45.
Schieman, S. (2001). Age, education, and the sense of control: A test of the cumulative advantage hypothesis. Research on Aging, 23, 153-178.
46.
Schieman, S. , & Taylor, J. (2001). Statuses, roles, and the sense of mattering. Sociological Perspectives, 44.
47.
Schieman, S. , & Turner, H. A. (1998). Age, disability, and the sense of mastery. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 39, 169-186.
48.
Schieman, S. , Van Gundy, K.,& Taylor, J. (2001). Status, role, and resource explanations for age patterns in psychological distress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 42, 80-96.
49.
Taylor, R. J. , & Chatters, L. M. (1988). Church members as a source of informal social support. Review of Religious Research, 30, 193-202.
50.
Turner, R. J. ,& Lloyd, D. A. (1999). The stress process and the social distribution of depression. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 40, 374-404.
51.
Turner, R. J. ,& McLean, P. D. (1989). Physical disability and psychological distress. Rehabilitation Psychology, 34, 225-242.
52.
Turner, R. J. ,& Noh, P. (1988). Physical disability and depression: Alongitudinal analysis. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 29, 23-37.
53.
Turner, R. J. ,& Roszell, P. (1994). Personal resources and the stress process. InW. R. Avison& I. H. Gotlib (Eds.), Stress and mental health: Contemporary issues and prospects for the future(pp. 179-210). New York: Plenum.
54.
Turner, R. J. , & Wood, W. (1985). Depression and disability: The stress process in a chronically strained population. Research in Community and Mental Health, 5, 77-109.
55.
Wade, T. J. , & Cairney, J. (1997). Age and depression in a nationally representative sample of Canadians: Apreliminary look at the National Population Health Survey. Canadian Journal of Public Health, 88, 297-302.
56.
Weiss, R. S. (1997). Adaptation to retirement. In I. H. Gotlib & B. Weaton (Eds.), Stress and adversity over the life course(pp. 232-248). New York: Cambridge University Press.
57.
Wheaton, B. (1990). Life transitions, role histories, and mental health. American Sociological Review, 55, 209-233.
