Health Happenings

Educated Elders Are Less Depressed

According to a recent study by the American Sociological Association, a good education can help defend against late-life depression. On average, individuals with 16 years of education were able to delay depression for 10 years longer than those with 10 years of education.

Apparently, people with fewer years of education tend to have fewer financial and social resources to cope with stress and are therefore more vulnerable to depression. The researchers discovered that as adults with little education get older, they become increasingly more likely to be depressed because they suffer a greater number of health problems than adults with more education suffer.

"Much of the reason that individuals with higher education are more successful in postponing increases in depression is attributable to their relatively better physical health," said researcher Richard Allen Miech.