Dual sensory loss (i.e., combined hearing and vision loss) is a condition that affects a substantial portion of older adults in the United States. Several negative outcomes have been associated with this condition, including psychological dysfunction, particularly the increased experience of syndromal or subsyndromal depression. Because of the multiple adverse effects associated with depression, the experience of this condition among persons with dual sensory loss (DSL) warrants attention. The primary aims of this project are to: 1) Determine the effects over time of acquiring a DSL on subsyndromal depression, and 2) Determine whether identified adaptable factors can moderate the negative effect of DSL on subsyndromal depression. The factors that will be tested as to their potential moderating effect are physical status and participation in productive activities, each of which will be measured with three variables. Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and Aging and Health Dynamics study (AHEAD) data (from years 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, and 2004) will used to conduct the research. The sample will include persons who self-report development of a DSL during the course of data collection and a comparison group of persons without sensory loss matched on age (N=3,024). Hierarchical linear modeling will be used to analyze the data. Individual growth curve models will determine (a) the average rate of change in depressive symptoms, (b) the individual variability in change in depressive symptoms over time, and (c) the effects of physical status and participation in productive activities on trajectories of depressive symptoms for this population. This research will inform professionals in the sensory loss fields and general service-providers (e.g., doctors, social workers, psychologists) about the longitudinal relationship between DSL and depression, about which nothing is currently known. Further, it will determine whether specific adaptable factors related to physical status and productive activities are associated with lower levels of subsyndromal depression for older adults who develop DSL. Identification of adaptable factors that have the ability to reduce or prevent this negative outcome is an important first step in developing interventions that can directly assess the ability of changes in these factors to decrease the psychological dysfunction associated with DSL. This research is particularly relevant to public health now as the incidence of dual sensory loss (DSL) is anticipated to rise sharply in the near future with the projected increase in the elderly population. The association between DSL and syndromal/subsyndromal depression represents a major public health concern for this population, as the experience of depression or depressive symptoms is known to negatively impact all areas of a person's life. In addition to increasing knowledge about the longitudinal effects of DSL on subsyndromal depression, this research will attempt to identify moderators of this relationship that could be used to develop health interventions for this population. ? ? ? ?
| McDonnall, Michele Capella (2011) The Effect of Productive Activities on Depressive Symptoms Among Older Adults With Dual Sensory Loss. Res Aging 33:234-255 |
| McDonnall, Michele Capella (2011) Physical status as a moderator of depressive symptoms among older adults with dual sensory loss. Rehabil Psychol 56:67-76 |
| McDonnall, Michele Capella (2009) The effects of developing a dual sensory loss on depression in older adults: a longitudinal study. J Aging Health 21:1179-99 |
