title: The relationship between age and depressive symptoms: a test of competing explanatory and suppression influences.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective is to examine competing explanatory and suppression influences on a negative, linear association between age and depressive symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two samples were used: a community sample of physically disabled individuals and a comparison sample matched on age, sex, and area of residence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fewer economic hardships and fewer experiences of negative interpersonal exchanges among older disabled and nondisabled respondents account for the negative relationship between age and depressive symptoms. Higher scores on a composite measure of religiosity among older disabled adults also account for part of the negative age effect. Conversely, a lower sense of mastery among older respondents in both samples suppresses the size of the negative age slope.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings are discussed in terms of stress process and socioemotional selectivity theories, which predict that personal and social arrangements influence the experience of emotions differentially across the life course.
authors: Department of Sociology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA. sschieman@socy.umd.edu
authors: Scott
authors: S
authors: Schieman
authors: Karen
authors: K
authors: Van Gundy
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Taylor
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States