Self-reported depressive state can be a predictor of engagement in work by community-dwelling elderly 2 years later

Background:   Depression is one of the most common medical disorders in elderly community-dwelling persons. The present study prospectively examined the relationship between depressive state in elderly persons and their engagement in work and/or activities during the subsequent 2 years.
Methods:   The study subjects were 603 persons who were engaged in work/activities at baseline. Their mean age ± standard deviation was 71 ± 5.1 years and 299 (49.6%) were men. The final outcome regarding engagement in work was based on whether they held a job or were engaged in activities, such as farming or gardening, every day.
Results:   At baseline, the mean SDS score was 35.5 ± 8.8 (20–63). The number of people engaged in work after 2 years decreased with increasing intensity of depressive state. Those who were engaged in work after 2 years were younger ( P  = 0.001), male ( P  = 0.047), married ( P  = 0.001), and with better financial conditions ( P  = 0.048). They were also independently able to fulfil BADL ( P  = 0.006), did not have a history of stroke ( P  = 0.040), were not regularly taking medication ( P  = 0.001) and were not depressed ( P  = 0.001). After adjustment for these covariates, depressive state was a significant independent explanatory variable, and a moderate to severe depressive state (i.e. SDS score of 48 or more) was significantly associated with less engagement in work compared with an SDS score of 39 or less (odds ratio, 2.35; 95%CI, 1.40–4.59).
Conclusion:   Depressive state is associated with an increased risk of decline in engagement in work.