[Depressive Symptoms in the Mid- and Old-aged People in China].

OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence and determinants of depressive symptoms in the mid- and old-aged people in China. METHODS: Data were extracted from the 2013 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS),which containthe Center Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale(CES-D). Binary logistic regression models were developed to identify factors associated with the prevalence of depression symptoms. These included socio-economic status of the respondents (gender, age, education),health-related factors (chronic diseases, disability, accident injury, and fall in recent two years),and family events over the past two years (deaths of a parent, spouse or child). RESULTS: About 31.9% of respondents had depressive symptoms, with a mean CES-D score of 8.0±4.9.Women and those who were younger than 75 years, widowed, resided in a rural area, had low levels of education, and suffered from multiple chronic conditions were more likely to have depressive symptoms than the others. CONCLUSIONS: High prevalence of depressive symptoms in the mid- and old-aged population in China is evident, which is associated with the health and socio-economic status of the population.