ANXIETY DISORDERS IN LATER LIFE - A REPORT FROM THE LONGITUDINAL AGING STUDY AMSTERDAM

Objective. To study the prevalence and risk factors of anxiety disorde rs in the older (55-85) population of The Netherlands. Method. The Lon gitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA) is based on a random sample of 3107 older adults, stratified for age and sex, which was drawn from th e community registries of 11 municipalities in three regions in The Ne therlands. Anxiety disorders were diagnosed using the Diagnostic Inter view Schedule in a two-stage screening design. The risk factors under study comprise vulnerability, stress and network-related variables. Bo th bivariate and multivariate statistical methods were used to evaluat e the risk factors. Results. The overall prevalence of anxiety disorde rs was estimated at 10.2%. Generalized anxiety disorder was the most c ommon disorder (7.3%), followed by phobic disorders (3.1%). Both panic disorder (1.0%) and obsessive compulsive disorder (0.6%) were rare. T hese figures are roughly similar to previous findings, Ageing itself d id not have any impact on the prevalence in both bivariate and multiva riate analyses. The impact of other factors did not change much with a ge. Vulnerability factors (female se?;, lower levels of education, hav ing suffered extreme experiences during World War II and external locu s of control) appeared to dominate, while stresses commonly experience d by older people (recent losses in the family and chronic physical il lness) also played a part. Of the network-related variables, only a sm aller size of the network was associated with anxiety disorders, Concl usions. Anxiety disorders are common in later life. The risk factors s upport using a vulnerability-stress model to conceptualize anxiety dis orders. Although the prevalence of risk factors changes dramatically w ith age, their impact is not age-dependent. The risk factors indicate which groups of older people are at a high risk for anxiety disorders and in whom active screening and treatment may be warranted, (C) 1998 John Wiley gr Sons, Ltd.