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Cross‐cultural comparison of symptom networks in late‐life major depressive disorder: Yoruba Africans and the Spanish Population
Author(s) -
TorreLuque Alejandro,
Ojagbemi Akin,
Caballero Francisco F.,
Lara Elvira,
MorenoAgostino Dario,
Bello Toyin,
Olaya Beatriz,
Haro Josep M.,
Gureje Oye,
AyusoMateos Jose L.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
international journal of geriatric psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.28
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1099-1166
pISSN - 0885-6230
DOI - 10.1002/gps.5329
Subject(s) - psychopathology , context (archaeology) , psychology , population , depression (economics) , psychiatry , major depressive disorder , mental health , clinical psychology , demography , medicine , geography , cognition , sociology , archaeology , economics , macroeconomics
Background The concept of European psychologisation of depression versus somatisation in non‐European populations has been the basis of several studies of cultural psychopathology in the general population. Little is currently known about cross‐cultural differences and similarities in late‐life depression symptom reporting. We cross‐culturally compared symptom reporting in the context of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) among community‐dwelling older adults from Spain and Nigeria. Methods We relied on data from two household multistage probability samples comprising 3,715 persons aged 65 years or older in the Spanish and Nigerian populations. All participants underwent assessments for MDD using the World Mental Health Survey version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Cross‐cultural comparison of broad somatic and psychological categories as well as relationship and influence of individual symptoms were analysed using the Symptom Network Analysis approach. Results Current MDD was diagnosed in 232 and 195 older persons from Spain and Nigeria, respectively. The symptom network of the two samples were invariant in terms of global strength, S ( G SPAIN , G NIGERIA ) = 7.56, P = .06, with psychological and somatic symptoms demonstrating centrality in both countries. However, country‐specific relationships and influence of individual symptoms were found in the network structure of both samples, M ( G SPAIN , G NIGERIA ) = 2.95, P < .01. Conclusion Broad somatic and psychological symptoms categories contributed to the structural network of older Africans and their peers from the Spanish population. Variations in the relationship and influence of individual symptoms suggests that the functional and “communicative” role of individual symptoms may be differentiated by context specific imperatives. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:‐, 2020.