Cross-National Comparisons of Gender Differences in Late-Life Depressive Symptoms in Japan and the United States

OBJECTIVES: This study compared changes in self-reported depressive symptoms in the United States and Japan across 2 points in time. The investigation focused on the gendered processes of intergenerational coresidence and support as the primary distinctions between nations. METHODS: Fixed-effects models were fit to examine the covariates of depressive symptoms in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and the Nihon University Japanese Longitudinal Study of Aging. RESULTS: Gender differences in depressive symptoms persisted across survey waves in both nations, with Japanese men reporting sharper increases by Time 2 than Japanese women. Getting older was associated with more depressive symptoms among Japanese men, whereas income provided a slight buffering effect. Coresiding with daughters also appeared to protect Japanese men and women with functional limitations from depressive symptoms. HRS data demonstrated that changes in marital status and physical health were correlated with increased depressive symptoms for men and women in the United States. DISCUSSION: The analyses revealed more variety in Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale reports by gender in Japan than in the United States. Future research should consider the diversity of contemporary Japanese households, reflecting new interpretations of traditional family support relationships.