No travel worsens depression: reciprocal relationship between travel and depression among older adults

The aim of this study was to examine the bidirectional relationship between depression and travel. We analyzed 8524 participants’ data obtained from the 2008 to 2016 waves of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing, a prospective cohort study. Depression was diagnosed using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale: 10-Items (CES-D10), with scores of 4 or higher indicating depression. We used a generalized estimating equation and a cross-lagged panel model for statistical analysis. Participants who had not traveled for one year had a 71% higher risk of suffering from depression in the following year than did those who had traveled [relative risk (RR) = 1.71, P < 0.001], and participants with depression had more than double the increased risk of not traveling than did those not currently suffering from depression (RR = 2.08, P < 0.001). The cross-lagged panel model confirmed the vicious cycle involving the amount of travel and score on the CES-D10; individuals who traveled more frequently were more likely to have lower scores on the CES-D10 (coefficient = − 0.04 to − 0.03, Ps < 0.01), and individuals with higher scores were less likely to travel (coefficient = − 0.06 to − 0.03, Ps < 0.01). The risk of depression increases for people who do not travel, and a reciprocal relationship exists between travel and depression.