The higher levels of self-reported satisfaction, the lower risk of depressive symptoms: Evidence from a nationwide cross-sectional study in China

ObjectivesThis study aimed to investigate the associations between several dimensions of self-reported satisfaction and the risk of depressive symptoms among Chinese middle-aged and older adults. MethodsThe China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) conducted a nationwide cross-sectional study of middle-aged and older adults. Depressive status was evaluated using the 10-item center for epidemiological studies depression scale (CESD-10), and self-reported life, health, marital status, parent-child relationship, and air quality satisfaction were adopted using Likert 5-point evaluation methods. A generalized linear model (GLM) was applied to explore the association between satisfaction and depression risk. ResultsA total of 13,978 Chinese people aged over 45 years old were included in this study, and 35.7% of the participants had depressive symptoms. The GLM analysis indicated that all dimensions of satisfaction were negatively associated with the risk of depressive symptoms. For each 1-point increase in life, health, marital status, parent-child relationship, and air quality satisfaction, the incidence of depressive symptoms decreased by 60.8% (odds ratio (OR) = 0.392; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.370, 0.414), 56.3% (OR = 0.437; 95% CI: 0.418, 0.458), 41.8% (OR = 0.582; 95% CI: 0.555, 0.610), 37.2% (OR = 0.628; 95% CI: 0.596, 0.662), and 25.6% (OR = 0.744; 95% CI: 0.711, 0.778), respectively. ConclusionHigher satisfaction levels with life, health, marital status, parent-child relationship, and air quality are associated with a lower risk of depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older adults. Given the aging society and the increasing mental health problems of middle-aged and older adults in China, our study provides a comprehensive perspective for depression prevention and mental health improvement.