PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to examine the direction and strength of the relationships between depressive symptoms and Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) among older, cognitively intact adults as reported in observational studies.
METHODS
A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to search the existing published observational studies in five electronic databases. PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, the Cochrane library, CINAHL, and Medline were used from June 2005 to June 2015. The search strategies all used MeSH terms. Studies reporting r-values between depressive symptoms and the ADLs of older adults were included in the meta-analysis. Overall effect size was computed, and subgroup/moderation analysis was then performed.
RESULTS
16 studies involving 7,184 older adults were identified, and no publication bias was found. The overall effect size was moderate, with a value of −.28. The strength of the effect size was moderated by sample residence type.
CONCLUSION
From the meta-analysis results, it was concluded that the strength of the relationship between depressive symptoms and ADLs was significant. The relationship showed a negative direction in all included studies. Therefore, various nursing intervention programs should be developed to increase the ADL related to depression according to the cognitive status and the residence status of the elderly by nurses.

Citations

• Moderating effect of social participation on the relationship between health status and depressive symptoms in older adults
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  Cambridge Prisms: Global Mental Health.2023;[Epub]     CrossRef
• A Systematic Review: Factors Related to Happiness and Quality of Life in the Elderly Depression
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• The presence of neighbours in informal supportive interactions is important for mental health in later life
  Yaya Li, Mai Kabayama, Winston Tseng, Kei Kamide
  Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics.2022; 100: 104627.     CrossRef