Mastery and Depressive Symptoms: How Does Mastery Influence the Impact of Stressors From Midlife to Old Age?

Objective: The objective of this research is to study depressive symptoms (DS) among adults aged 40 to 79 years and examine how mastery influences the impact of sociodemographic, socioeconomic, and health factors on DS. Method: We used a sample of the Norwegian Life Course, Generation, and Gender (LOGG) study (N = 6,879) and analyzed how mastery influences the independent variables on DS via regression analyses. Results: Mastery affected DS directly and influenced the effects of sociodemographic, socioeconomic, and health factors on DS. There was a stronger relationship between stressors and DS among respondents with low than high mastery. DS were most prevalent among people aged 70 to 79 years. When mastery was also controlled for, the oldest group (70-79 years) had significantly fewer DS than those aged 40 to 49 years. Discussion: The influence of mastery and stressors on DS seems to vary along the life span. The result that mastery was a relatively stronger buffer against DS in midlife than in old age is discussed.