The moderating role of pain in socioeconomic gradients of late-life depression – Nature Mental Health

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Published: 06 August 2026

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Higher socioeconomic status does not consistently protect against late-life depression. We propose that persistent pain may worsen depressive symptoms and amplify socioeconomic disparities through unequal access to pain management, reduced social engagement and limited financial resilience, offering a testable explanation beyond selective survival effects.

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Authors and Affiliations

Clinical Investigation, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

Nilson N. Mendes Neto
Pain Psychiatry Fellowship, NeuroPsy, Boston, MA, USA

Nilson N. Mendes Neto & Jessika M. Mendes
Teaching Pain Clinic, Universidade Potiguar, Natal, Brazil

Nilson N. Mendes Neto

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Nilson N. Mendes Neto
Jessika M. Mendes

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Correspondence to Nilson N. Mendes Neto.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Nature Mental Health thanks Mengling Cheng, Almar Kok and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work.

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Mendes Neto, N.N., Mendes, J.M. The moderating role of pain in socioeconomic gradients of late-life depression. Nat. Mental Health (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44220-026-00703-8

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Published: 06 August 2026
Version of record: 06 August 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44220-026-00703-8