Network analysis of symptoms of depression,anxiety,sleep disorders,and feelings of loneliness among the elderly and gender differences
Objective To explore the relationships among symptoms of depression,anxiety,sleep disorders,and feelings of loneliness in a community-dwelling elderly population through network analysis,and to investigate the differences in network structure and core symptoms between genders.Methods A convenience sampling method was employed to survey 1 325 elderly individuals in Chengdu,Sichuan Province,regarding their symptoms of depression,anxiety,sleep disorders,and loneliness.Network analysis,centrality analysis,and robustness analysis were conducted to examine the associations among the symptoms.Additionally,differences in the network among subgroups by gender were analyzed.Results The most central symptoms in the network of community elderly were identified as"fatigue","sleep problems","low mood",and"feeling neglected"(Z ≥ 1).No statistically significant differences were found in the network structure and connection strength between different gender subgroups(P＞0.05).However,the mediating centrality of"low mood"was higher in males than in females(P＜0.05),while the strength centrality of"tension"was lower in males than in females(P＜0.001).Conclusion The network structure of disease symptoms aids in understanding the mechanisms of mental health issues among the elderly and the relationships between different conditions.It is recommended that community health service centers focus on preventing and alleviating feelings of fatigue among the elderly,while also addressing their sleep issues,low mood,and feelings of neglect to enhance overall mental health.
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