Mortality and depressive symptoms in inhabitants of residential homes

It has been hypothesised that there is a relationship between depression an d mortality rate. Some earlier studies have confirmed this relationship, bu t others have not. In the present study the association was examined betwee n depressive symptoms and mortality in the inhabitants of ten residential h omes for the elderly in The Netherlands. Four hundred and twenty-four subje cts who were not cognitively impaired, and who participated in an intervent ion study, were included. One year after the initial interview, they were c ontacted again and it was found that 69 (16.3%) had died. In the initial in terview, depressive symptoms and psychological distress were assessed with the Geriatric Depression Scale and the mental health subscale of the MOS-SF -20. The following correlates of depression were assessed: functional impai rment? earlier depression, pain, social support, loneliness, and the presen ce of seven common chronic illnesses. In bivariate analyses no significant relationship was found between depression and mortality, while controlling for living in an experimental or control home. In logistic regression analy ses with mortality as the dependent variable and depressive symptoms, demog raphic variables, and correlates of depression as predictors, no significan t relationship between depression and mortality was found either. It is con cluded that no evidence was found in this population for a significant rela tionship between depression and mortality. Mortality was related to measure s of social support, to activities of daily living, and to the presence of chronic non-specific lung disease. Copyright (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Lt d.