Trajectories and Predictors of Depressive Symptoms Among Older Adults Living Alone Using Care Robots

Recent studies examining the effects of social robots on depressive symptoms among older adults have reported mixed results, suggesting that depressive symptom patterns may follow distinct trajectories. The present study aimed to identify the trajectories of depressive symptoms and explore their associations with relevant variables. Participants were obtained from the Hyodol Project conducted in Seoul. A semi-parametric group-based modeling approach was used to identify the trajectories of depressive symptoms, decrease-increase using the Korean Geriatric Depression Scale (KGDS). Three distinct decrease-increase of depressive symptoms were identified: (1) steep decrease-increase (SDI), (2) gradual increase-decrease (GID), and (3) gradual decrease-increase (GDI). Factors associated with trajectory group membership included ease of robot use (B = 13.40 for SDI vs. GID; B = - 18.49 for GID vs. GDI), fun in talking to robots (B = 4.54 for SDI vs. GID; B = - 17.59 for GID vs. GDI), sleep problems (B = - 2.28 for SDI vs. GDI; B = - 2.30 for GID vs. GDI), and life management (B = 2.43 for SDI vs. GDI). These findings indicate that the trajectories of depressive symptoms among older adults using social robots are heterogeneous. Therefore, social robots should be integrated with systematic support systems that enhance ease of use and promote meaningful communication with older adults.