Eyes Wide Open or Not: Developing a Model for Predicting Depression Among Older Americans

Depression is significant among older Americans in the United States. A literature review found only five studies on the interrelationship between individual and neighborhood effects in predicting depression among older Americans. This article presents the results of exploring this interrelationship using data from the Brookdale Demonstration Project Initiative on Healthy Urban Aging (BDI). The BDI database is from a sample of 1,870 enrollees in New York City senior centers in 2008. The BDI analysis finds the association with depression is highest with visual impairment (p = .000); frequent falling (p = .000); lower income (p = .000); little leisure-time physical activity (p = .000); low neighborhood satisfaction (p = .000); trouble hearing (p = .000); arthritis/rheumatoid arthritis (p = .001); and being disabled (p = .005). Implications for senior center and home care provider collaboration on early preventive interventions relating to sensory impairment, depression, and conditions related to falls and the built environment are discussed.