本研究旨在探究中老年期的憂鬱變動軌跡，運用多層次縱貫性研究法，採用年齡軸的線性及曲線模式。研究資料來源為「中老年身心社會生活狀況長期追蹤調查」（Taiwan Longitudinal Study on Aging，TLSA）資料庫。本研究針對第一波4049個樣本，追蹤分析樣本的五波資料。研究發現：中老年期的憂鬱變動軌跡隨年齡以線性成長模式最為適配，意即：整體來說，中老年期憂鬱情緒的變化是隨時間穩定成長，並不因年齡增長而發生變化。再者，不同性別的憂鬱起始值達顯著，中老年期的憂鬱因性別而有不同；並且，憂鬱變動軌跡在性別與年齡交互作用上顯著，相較於男性，中老年女性隨年齡增長所呈現的憂鬱狀況更為嚴重。

This study uses a multilevel longitudinal method and linear and curve models of age to study depression change trajectory of middle aged and older adults. Data were taken from the Taiwan Longitudinal Study on Aging (TLSA) database, and data on 4049 subjects were collected with 5 subsequent follow-ups. This study shows: The linear model is best on explaining the depression change trajectory of middle-aged and elderly adults; that is, depression in middle-aged and elder aged patients stably grows over time with no drastic changes over age. In addition, the initial level of depression in different genders is significant; that is, depression in middle-aged and elderly adults varies as per their gender. Furthermore, there is significant interaction on depression change trajectory in respect to sex and age, and there is more severe fluctuation in depression in regards to aging in middle and old-aged females.

憂鬱 ； 中老年人 ； 性別 ； 多層次方法 ； 縱貫性研究

depression; middle-aged and older adults; gender; multilevel method; longitudinal study