Anxiety in old-age depression

Anxiety is a symptom frequently encountered in elderly depressed patients. It is supposed to have an unfavourable prognostic impact. We studied the fr equency of psychic anxiety and its relationship to demographic, social and clinical Variables in a group of 54 elderly depressed patients admitted to a gerontopsychiatric day-clinic; Severity of depression, cognitive performa nce, functional level, social situation and life satisfaction were studied by means of standardized instruments. In about half of the patients studied , we found significant psychic anxiety. Compared to the other depressed pat ients, patients with anxiety suffered more frequently from cognitive impair ment and were more dissatisfied with the acceptance of their disease by oth er persons. They more frequently lived together with other persons in one h ousehold. When leaving psychic anxiety out of consideration as a depressive symptom, the severity of depression was not different in patients with and without anxiety. Anxious patients were equally responsive to day-clinic tr eatment as nonanxious patients. However, duration of treatment was consider ably increased. Thus, elderly depressed patients with anxiety show particul ar psychosocial and clinical features and require special attention in diag nostics and treatment.