Three-year prognosis of depression in the community-dwelling elderly

Citation
A. Denihan et al., Three-year prognosis of depression in the community-dwelling elderly, BR J PSYCHI, 176, 2000, pp. 453-457
Citations number
28
Categorie Soggetti
Psychiatry,"Clinical Psycology & Psychiatry","Neurosciences & Behavoir
Journal title
BRITISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY
ISSN journal
00071250 → ACNP
Volume
176
Year of publication
2000
Pages
453 - 457
Database
ISI
SICI code
0007-1250(200005)176:<453:TPODIT>2.0.ZU;2-G
Abstract
Background Depression is the most common mental disorder in the community-d welling elderly. Aims To determine the three-year prognosis of depression in a cohort of 127 community-dwelling elderly subjects and identify factors relevant to outco me. Method The subjects, diagnosed depressed at year 0 using the GMS-AGECAT pac kage, were followed up three years later. A number of factors were investig ated for an association with recovery from, or persistence of, depression. Results At follow-up, 30.2% of the depressed subjects had died, 34.9% had p ersistent or relapsed case-level depression, 24.5% had other case- or subca se-level mental illness and 10.4% had recovered completely. Physical ill-he alth. bereavement and positive family history of depression were associated with poor outcome, whereas treatment with antidepressant medication signif icantly improved prognosis. Conclusions Late-life depression in community-dwelling subjects is a chroni c condition. However. the positive response to antidepressant medication su ggests that it should be vigorously treated. Declaration of interest This study was partly funded by the Health Research Board of Ireland.