MENTAL AND SOMATIC HEALTH AND NEED FOR CARE IN OCTOGENERIANS AND NONAGENERIANS - AN EPIDEMIOLOGIC COMMUNITY STUDY

Mental and somatic illness, utilization of psychosocial facilities and need for care in persons aged 85 years and older were examined. Data were based on a representative community sample (n = 402) of Munich ci ty. A total of 358 (89%) subjects of the sample were interviewed, 42 s ubjects (10.5%) refused, and 2 persons could not be traced. Dementia a nd depression had the highest prevalence of mental disorders according to the AGECAT (automated geriatric examination for computer assisted taxonomy) computer program of the Geriatric Mental State Interview. In all, 23.6% of the interviewees fulfilled criteria for depression, 25. 4% for dementia. We analysed somatic illness according to mental statu s, the utilization of psychosocial facilities and need for care with r egard to mental and somatic illness.