Older before Your Time?: Age, Chronic Illness, and Depression in Later Life

Jason S. Schnittker, University of Pennsylvania

Later life is simultaneously a time of psychological maturity and physical decline. The effects of illness on depression are examined using a large, nationally representative, and longitudinal sample of individuals over the age of 50. Seven illnesses and three forms of disability are found to substantially increase depressive symptoms. Most of the effects, however, vary substantially by age. Respondents who develop chronic but not immediately life-threatening illnesses earlier in life tend to report more depression than do those who develop them later. Similarly, disability is more depressing when experienced at younger ages. The implications of the results are discussed with respect to theories of illness, depression, and aging, as well as theories linking life expectancy and morbidity to the burden of depression among the elderly.