Population aging a global phenomenon and, compared to younger populations, older people are more likely to suffer from depression. According to the estimates from Global Burden of Disease, unipolar depressive disorders has placed an enormous burden on society and are ranked as the fourth leading cause of burden among all diseases, accounting for 4.4% of the total DALYs. Many studies in the West has found that religiosity among older people is associated with depression, but few studies have explored this relationship using data collected from the elderly in Taiwan.
Data were obtained from a longitudinal survey of Taiwanese elders in 1999 (N=1118). Participants’ participation in religious activities and their religion-related beliefs were summed and used as indicators for religiosity. Depression symptoms were measured in 2007 by using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Descriptive statistics provides all the basic variable in 1999, Chi-square test analyze the association between gender, age, marriage, and hypertension and heart disease and the religious of depression. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine significance the religious of depression 8 year later.
Results showed that involvement in religious activities was significantly associated with less depressive symptoms. Religion exists in all societies and is an important form of social participation. As people age, they gradually lose their important ties and supports. Religious activities could play a role in promoting social participation and programs for depression prevention among the elderly in Taiwan
