Injuries worsen depressive symptoms in older adults: Evidence from the Czech HAPIEE study

Abstract Introduction Experiencing an injury can have profound and lasting effects on both physical and mental health. This impact is especially pronounced in older adults, where an injury can substantially diminish quality of life and potentially trigger or worsen mental health condition. Given the vulnerability of this population, it is crucial to understand the interconnection between injuries and mental health. The aim of this study was to explore this relationship and investigate whether experiencing injury contributes to the progression of depressive symptoms in the aging population. Methods We used data on 4735 subjects (mean age 58 years at baseline) from the Czech arm of the prospective HAPIEE cohort study. Depressive symptoms were assessed in seven waves of data collection using the validated CESD-10 scale (range: 0-10). At baseline, participants reported whether they had experienced an injury or serious accident requiring medical treatment within the previous 12 months. The longitudinal effect of experiencing injuries on the progression of depressive symptoms was assessed using multilevel mixed-effects model, adjusted for age, sex, education, and marital status. Results Overall, 10.15% of participants reported experiencing an injury during the study period. The incidence of injury did not differ significantly by age or between men and women. Mixed-effects modelling indicated that sustaining an injury was associated with a longitudinal increase in depressive symptoms (b = 0.165; p = 0.014). Conclusions Experiencing injury in older age is associated with progression of depressive symptoms highlighting the need for targeted mental health support and injury prevention strategies.