Mortality and mental disorders in a Spanish elderly population

Objective. To analyse the relationship between mental disorders and mortali ty rates in the elderly community of Zaragoza, Spain. Methods. Baseline, cross-sectional study (two-stage screening) of a represe ntative, stratified sample (N = 1080) of the elderly (65 + years) living in the community. Follow-up study (4.5 years). Instruments: Spanish versions of Geriatric Mental State, AGECAT computerized diagnostic program and Mini- Mental Status Examination. Results, Two hundred and sixteen subjects died during the follow-up period (global mortality rate 4.8% per year). Using a logistic regression model wi th sex, age, educational level, physical illness and AGECAT diagnoses as ex planatory variables and alive/dead as response, the following odds ratios ( 95% confidence intervals in parentheses) were obtained (reference group: no n-cases): 'subcases' 1.3 (0.9-2.0), 'organic' (dementia) 3.7 (2.0-6.7), glo bal depression 3.0 (1.7-5.3), 'psychotic' depression (melancholic type) 3.7 (1.7-8.4), 'neurotic' depression 2.7 (1.4-5.3) and 'neuroses' 0.8 (0.2-3.6 ). Both pure 'organic' and pure 'depressed' cases had higher mortality when compared with comorbidity cases, Conclusion. There is a significant association between psychiatric morbidit y and mortality in the elderly living in a Spanish community. Mortality ris k in psychiatric cases are higher than previously reported in the literatur e. Copyright (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.