# Trajectory patterns and influencing factors of depression due to child bereavement among older adults in China: a 5-year longitudinal study

## TL;DR

This study examines how depression changes over time in older Chinese adults who have lost a child and identifies factors that influence these patterns.

## Contribution

The study identifies distinct trajectory patterns of depression after child bereavement in older adults and links them to specific influencing factors.

## Key findings

- Four trajectory patterns of depressive symptoms were identified, including rapidly increasing, rapidly declining, slowly increasing, and stable low depression groups.
- Factors like residence, sleep status, life satisfaction, and self-reported health were associated with these trajectory patterns.
- The study highlights the need for individualized support for older adults based on their specific depression trajectory.

## Abstract

As a result of the aging of the world population, a high number of older adults lose their children during their lifetime. Depression due to child bereavement is a significant psychological problem. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the trajectories of depressive symptoms associated with child bereavement among older adults in China and determine the influencing factors.

In this study, data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study were used as the longitudinal data, and 284 women and 117 men aged over 60 years were included. A latent growth mixture model was used to identify trajectory patterns in depression due to child bereavement over time. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the influencing factors.

Four trajectory patterns of depressive symptoms associated with child bereavement were identified: a low depression rapidly increasing group (12.0%), a high depression rapidly declining group (12.1%), a high depression slowly increasing group (23.1%), and a low depression stable group (52.8%). The findings of the multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that residence, sleep status, satisfaction with life, and self-report of health were related to the trajectory patterns of depressive symptoms among the participants.

This study revealed heterogeneity in changes in depressive symptoms among older adults with child bereavement in China. The government and medical institutions should consider these trajectory patterns of depression and adopt individualized support measures based on the characteristics of different groups.