Incidence, Trajectories and Risk Factors of Depressive Symptoms in Relation to Hypertension or Diabetes Among Chinese Adults

Abstract

Using CHARLS (2011-2020), my thesis examined the long-term association between chronic diseases and depression in middle-aged and older adults in China. The research focus on hypertension and diabetes, applying Cox proportional hazards models to assess the risk of incident depressive symptoms, and using LCGM/LGCM to characterize longitudinal depressive symptom trajectories and their heterogeneity. Preliminary result shows that hypertension and diabetes increase the risk of depression, and that depression shows non-linear and heterogeneous developmental patterns over time. The result will provide epidemiological evidence to support mental health risk identification and management in populations with chronic diseases.