ANTIDEPRESSANT USE IN THE ELDERLY - ASSOCIATION WITH DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS, HEALTH-RELATED FACTORS, AND HEALTH-CARE UTILIZATION

The characteristics of antidepressant use and its correlates were asse ssed in the four Established Populations for Epidemiologic Study of th e Elderly (EPESE) communities (n = 13,074). Women were significantly m ore likely to be treated with an antidepressant drug than men, and Afr ican-Americans were significantly less likely than whites to be using antidepressant medication. Of the health-related measures, poor self-p erceived health, polypharmacy, disabilities in activities of daily liv ing, and a history of stroke were associated with the use of antidepre ssants. Each utilization of health care variable, (number of doctors v isits, overnight hospitalization in the past year, and use of a regula r doctor), was associated with antidepressant use in at least two of t he four communities. After entering variables in a multivariate regres sion model, higher antidepressant use was significantly associated wit h female gender, race, poor self-perceived health, and a greater numbe r of contacts with doctors in the past year.