THE SYMPTOM PROFILE AND 2-YEAR COURSE OF SUBSYNDROMAL DEPRESSION IN SPOUSALLY BEREAVED ELDERS

The authors describe the symptom presentation and clinical course of s ubsyndromal depression in 20 bereaved elderly persons (mean age = 68.0 years) over a period of 2 years from spousal loss. Clinical ratings o n measures of general functioning, depressive symptoms, sleep disturba nce, medical burden, social support, and social rhythm stability were contrasted for bereaved subjects with subsyndromal depression, nondepr essed bereaved subjects, and control subjects who were neither bereave d nor depressed. Subsyndromally depressed subjects had greater impairm ent in work and pleasure and more pronounced anxiety. Over follow-up, they showed persistently higher bereavement intensity and were more im paired than nondepressed, bereaved subjects on measures of general fun ctioning, sleep quality, and social support, suggesting that subsyndro mally depressed, bereaved persons experience greater functional impair ment, worse sleep quality, less perceived interpersonal support, and m ore intense grieving than nondepressed, bereaved subjects up to 2 year s after spousal loss.