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Depressive symptoms among frail elderly in ordinary living: who is affected and who is treated?

Modig, Sara LU ; Midlöv, Patrik LU orcid and Kristensson, Jimmie LU (2014) In Aging & Mental Health 18(8). p.1022-1028
Abstract
Objectives: Depression is common but not always recognized and often undertreated among elderly. Cardiovascular diagnoses have been reported to be associated with depression. The study examined if this association could be confirmed in a frail elderly population. It also assessed the association between high depressive scores and certain health complaints and the use of certain drugs, respectively.Method: A total of 153 frail elderly in ordinary living were included. The association between depressive symptoms, assessed by geriatric depression scale (GDS) 20, and an inpatient diagnose of cerebrovascular disease or heart failure was assessed. Depressive symptoms were also compared with health complaints and background data. Furthermore, the... (More)
Objectives: Depression is common but not always recognized and often undertreated among elderly. Cardiovascular diagnoses have been reported to be associated with depression. The study examined if this association could be confirmed in a frail elderly population. It also assessed the association between high depressive scores and certain health complaints and the use of certain drugs, respectively.Method: A total of 153 frail elderly in ordinary living were included. The association between depressive symptoms, assessed by geriatric depression scale (GDS) 20, and an inpatient diagnose of cerebrovascular disease or heart failure was assessed. Depressive symptoms were also compared with health complaints and background data. Furthermore, the use of certain drugs, such as antidepressants and other psychotropics, was compared with depressive symptoms.Results: Risk of depression was seen in 52% of the patients. Those showing risk of depression more often received municipal care or help with medication distribution and were more often treated with sedatives. They also had significantly more health complaints. No differences were found between those who had or did not have a diagnosis of heart failure or transient ischemic attack (TIA)/stroke during hospital care the previous year regarding risk for depression or treatment with antidepressants, respectively. Sixteen per cent were treated with antidepressants and this group was significantly younger than those who were not treated.Conclusion: Those elderly with a GDS score indicating a risk for depression have poorer health, are more dependent on help and are more often treated with sedatives. The study could not confirm an association between heart failure or TIA/stroke and risk for depression. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Aging & Mental Health
volume
18
issue
8
pages
1022 - 1028
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • pmid:24708142
  • wos:000342291900010
  • scopus:84908590758
  • pmid:24708142
ISSN
1364-6915
DOI
10.1080/13607863.2014.903469
project
Case mangement for frail older people
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
204844c1-424e-4c1b-b9e0-8ebff4fe0160 (old id 4430734)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24708142?dopt=Abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 10:26:58
date last changed
2022-04-01 02:29:57
@article{204844c1-424e-4c1b-b9e0-8ebff4fe0160,
  abstract     = {{Objectives: Depression is common but not always recognized and often undertreated among elderly. Cardiovascular diagnoses have been reported to be associated with depression. The study examined if this association could be confirmed in a frail elderly population. It also assessed the association between high depressive scores and certain health complaints and the use of certain drugs, respectively.Method: A total of 153 frail elderly in ordinary living were included. The association between depressive symptoms, assessed by geriatric depression scale (GDS) 20, and an inpatient diagnose of cerebrovascular disease or heart failure was assessed. Depressive symptoms were also compared with health complaints and background data. Furthermore, the use of certain drugs, such as antidepressants and other psychotropics, was compared with depressive symptoms.Results: Risk of depression was seen in 52% of the patients. Those showing risk of depression more often received municipal care or help with medication distribution and were more often treated with sedatives. They also had significantly more health complaints. No differences were found between those who had or did not have a diagnosis of heart failure or transient ischemic attack (TIA)/stroke during hospital care the previous year regarding risk for depression or treatment with antidepressants, respectively. Sixteen per cent were treated with antidepressants and this group was significantly younger than those who were not treated.Conclusion: Those elderly with a GDS score indicating a risk for depression have poorer health, are more dependent on help and are more often treated with sedatives. The study could not confirm an association between heart failure or TIA/stroke and risk for depression.}},
  author       = {{Modig, Sara and Midlöv, Patrik and Kristensson, Jimmie}},
  issn         = {{1364-6915}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{8}},
  pages        = {{1022--1028}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{Aging & Mental Health}},
  title        = {{Depressive symptoms among frail elderly in ordinary living: who is affected and who is treated?}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2014.903469}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/13607863.2014.903469}},
  volume       = {{18}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}