- Title
- The predictors of depression in a longitudinal cohort of community dwelling rural adults in Australia
- Creator
- Handley, Tonelle E.; Rich, Jane; Lewin, Terry J.; Kelly, Brian J.
- Relation
- NHMRC.401241 http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/401241
- Relation
- Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology Vol. 54, Issue 2, p. 171-180
- Publisher Link
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00127-018-1591-1
- Publisher
- Springer
- Resource Type
- journal article
- Date
- 2019
- Description
- Purpose: Many major studies of depression in Australia are under-representative of rural and remote residents, limiting the generalizability of their findings. This study explores the contributions of a range of individual, social, and community factors to the trajectory of depressive symptoms among a cohort of rural and remote residents. Methods: Data from four waves of the Australian Rural Mental Health Study (baseline n = 2639), a 5 year longitudinal study of rural community residents, were examined within generalized linear mixed models to predict depressive symptoms. Depression was measured using the PHQ-9, with key correlates including social support, employment status, financial wellbeing, neuroticism, and rural community factors. Results: Moderate-to-severe depression was reported by 6.3% of the baseline sample. Being permanently unable to work resulted in over a threefold increase in the odds of depression at the following survey wave. Self-rated financial hardship was associated with a fourfold increase in the odds of future depression, as was a high level of community concerns. Neuroticism and tobacco use also made a significant independent contribution to future depressive symptoms. Interpersonal support was a protective factor, reducing the odds of next-wave depression by 64%. Conclusion: Financial and employment-related difficulties appear to be important risk factors for depression, and targeting individuals experiencing such difficulties may be an effective means of reducing depression among certain sub-groups. Strategies to prevent depression in rural and remote Australia may benefit from a focus on interpersonal and community-level support, as the effects of this support are lasting and contribute to a reduced likelihood of depressive episodes in future years.
- Subject
- rural; depression; social support; employment; financial stress
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1411010
- Identifier
- uon:36267
- Identifier
- ISSN:0933-7954
- Rights
- This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. The final authenticated version is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00127-018-1591-1.
- Language
- eng
- Full Text
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