Project 437161

In Canada, a major public health concern is that osteoarthritis (OA) and depression affects millions of Canadians, and both conditions co-occur in about 20% of adults. Most people know a friend or loved one whose quality of life has been negatively affected by either of these two chronic conditions. OA pain symptoms and depressive symptoms are two of the leading causes of disability in adults. The double burden of having both OA and depression further compromises a person's quality of life and severely limits activity. There has been inconclusive evidence regarding the assertion that OA can lead to subsequent depressive symptoms facilitated through pain. In addition, there has been a lack of available Canadian data sources to examine the relationship between OA and subsequent depression in a population of adults where variables are measured across different time points (also known as a longitudinal study). There is a great opportunity to better understand the relationship between OA and depression, by using recent data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA). The CLSA provides pan-Canadian data that has information on OA, depression, pain, and other key variables. I will study the temporal relationship between OA and subsequent depressed mood using statistical methods appropriate for longitudinal data. A cure for OA does not exist at present, but it is possible to minimize the impacts of this debilitating health condition. Current OA treatment is focused on pain management, but it is not clear whether pain management is effective at dealing with the psychological consequences of OA. The study results will help to clarify the risk of developing depressive symptoms among people with OA, in order to improve the lives of people with OA, by informing OA clinical management (e.g., screening tools for depression) and supporting health services planning (e.g., social support programs).