"Age-Related Positivity Effect" in the Relationship Between Pain and Depression Among Chinese Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Sex Differences

Purpose: To examine the "age-related positivity effect" and its sex differences in the pain-depression relationship among Chinese community-dwelling older adults. Design: Cross-sectional design. Methods: The study was conducted with a sample of 1,913 older adults in Jinan, China. Data were collected on pain intensity, age, sex, depressive symptoms, and potential covariates. Results: The hierarchical linear regression analyses revealed that pain intensity was significantly related to depressive symptoms, there was a significant two-way interaction between age and pain intensity, and there was a significant three-way interaction between sex, age, and pain intensity. The Johnson-Neyman plot revealed that the relationship between pain and depressive symptoms decreased with advancing age, indicating an "age-related positivity effect." And the age-related positivity effect in the pain-depression relationship was significant only in men, but not in women. Conclusions: The study suggests that all older women and "young-old" men (younger senior citizens aged 60-79) in China are more likely to experience depressive symptoms from pain. Interventions on cognitive psychology should particularly target all older women and young-old men to reduce the detrimental effect of pain on emotional well-being. (c) 2021 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.