DEPRESSION AND SOMATIC SYMPTOMS IN THE ELDERLY - THE ROLE OF COGNITIVE FUNCTION

This research was developed within a study on the quality of life of e lderly people and involved 462 community-dwelling subjects aged 75 and over living in the city centre of Brescia and Padua, northern Italy. The presence of the well-known relationship between depression and som atic complaints was confirmed in the sample. In order to assess the ro le of physical conditions and cognitive impairment, the association be tween depression and number of pains was statistically controlled for the presence of disability (and other indicators of disease) and for c ognitive function. Results indicate a correlation between the number o f pains reported and the BSI depression scale score for cognitively in tact individuals. The correlation was abolished in those individuals w hose cognitive functioning was impaired. The relationships of cognitiv e function with depression and somatic complaints are discussed.