Association between occupational participation and depressive symptoms among middle-aged adults: A cross-sectional study in Hokkaido, Japan.
Kazuki Yokoyama, Kiyotaka Shimada, Takafumi Morimoto and 2 others
PMID 39539404WHAT IT FOUND
Middle-aged adults with lower participation in productive activities (work, chores, caregiving) reported more depressive symptoms.
Satisfaction with leisure also linked to fewer symptoms, but self-care participation showed no significant association with depression.
Key findings
01Depressive symptoms were significantly associated with low occupational participation in the productivity domain but not in the leisure and self-care domains.
02All aspects of productivity (control, balance, and satisfaction) were significantly associated with depressive symptoms.
03Satisfaction with leisure activities was negatively associated with depressive symptoms.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
Cross-sectional design prevents establishing causality between occupational participation and depressive symptoms. Snowball sampling from university parents and colleagues may limit generalizability to the broader population. Self-reported measures mean participants' interpretation of 'productivity' or 'leisure' activities may vary. Economic factors like income and mortgage, which affect employment status, were not included in the analysis. The study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, which may have influenced activity levels and mental health scores.
Declared interests
The study was supported by Sapporo Medical University and received no external funding from any other agency.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that improving leisure or self-care participation will reduce depressive symptoms in this population. The study found that only productivity participation had a significant independent association with depressive symptoms after adjusting for demographics.