Rose Pei-Fang Chiang

• Depression is rising both in Germany and Taiwan among all age groups but specially, also among elderly. In Taiwan, a larger proportion of users of antidepressants are over 65 years of age (NHI, 2020). In Germany, 24 % of people aged 65+ reporting depression symptoms in 2017 (OECD, 2019). Data were extracted from the DEAS and the TLSA. Both of DEAS and TLSA were a countrywide representative survey. The scale used to measure depression in the two surveys was the CES-D. Data analysis included regression models, specifically logistic regression, and Generalized Estimating Equations. The McNemar test and Mantel-Haenszel test was applied to examine the consistency of the responses of the same group of subjects before and after the test. The study found that in Germany, subjects with heart disease, cancer, and poor self-rated health (SRH) were more likely to suffer from depression. In Taiwan, subjects with diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, and poor SRH were more likely to be depressed. Both countries showed that the drinking and exercise groups had a lower chance of developing depression. Widowhood increased the risk of developing depression, but there was no gender difference. In addition to maintaining and improving physical health, exercise has been proven in this study to relieve psychological depression. Partnerships, on the other hand, provide social bonding and social support for middle-aged and older adults. Without a spouse, there is an association with more psychological health constraints like depression in older people living in Germany and Taiwan. Getting out and building relationships with friends and exercising together could be a good way to decrease the risk of depression among the elderly. According to attachment theory, having a stable relationship with some friends can also help the emotions of the elderly recover from the death of their spouse.