PREDICTION OF 1ST EPISODE OF CLINICAL DEPRESSION IN PATIENTS NEWLY ADMITTED TO A MEDICAL LONG-TERM CARE FACILITY - FINDINGS FROM A PROSPECTIVE-STUDY

A cohort of 104 patients newly admitted to a medical long-term care fa cility was studied over 1 year for evolution of depression. Seven vari ables that were associated with level of depression were used in discr iminant function analyses. Results showed that the variables had about 90% accuracy in predicting depressed versus non-depressed groups with good sensitivity and specificity. The variables measured: coping with admission; life satisfaction at admission; affective and non-affectiv e symptoms at admission; clinical health status after admission; frien ds in hospital after admission; and changes in affective symptoms afte r admission before the onset of depression.