THE RELATION OF RELIGIOUS PREFERENCE AND PRACTICE TO DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS AMONG 1,855 OLDER ADULTS

Religious devotion is a complex phenomenon but a potentially important source of support and meaning in the lives of older adults. Nonethele ss, attendance at religious services and religious preference (affilia tion) have received relatively little prominence in epidemiological st udies of late life mental illness despite their relative ease of measu rement. We examined differences ill the prevalence and course of depre ssive symptoms and associated characteristics among 1,855 older commun ity residents who expressed a Jewish, Catholic, or other religious pre ference. At baseline, Jewish religious preference was associated with a twofold elevation in the prevalence of depressive symptoms compared to Catholics. Lack of attendance at religious services was associated with greater prevalence of depression among all groups, significantly so among Catholics. The relationship of depression with Jewish religio us preference and with failure to attend services could not be account ed for by measures of age, gender, health, disability, or social suppo rt. Twenty-four months following baseline, Jewish religious preference was associated with the emergence of depressive symptoms and remained significant when the effects of age, gender, health, disability, and social support were controlled. Failure to attend services was associa ted with both the emergence and persistence of depression but did not remain significant once the effects of other characteristics were cont rolled. For both religious and health care institutions, these finding s have implications for the prevention, recognition, and treatment of late life mental illness.