scholarly journals How high is the prevalence of depression in old age?

2002 ◽  
Vol 24 (suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 42-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Snowdon
Keyword(s):  
Major Depression ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Late Life Depression ◽  
Clinical Interventions ◽  
Environmental Initiatives ◽  
Prevalence Of Depression ◽  
Age Studies

Depressive symptoms are highly prevalent in late life - in Brazil and around the world. Some experts have argued that depression is less common in old age, quoting studies that show a lower prevalence of major depression in late life. Results from cross-age studies have been remarkably inconsistent, both regarding which age-group has the peak rate and regarding actual rates. A majority of surveys of the prevalence of depressive conditions in old age (not just major depression), warranting clinical interventions, report it to be over 10%. Physical ill-health is the most significant associated factor, but it may distract doctors from recognising depression. Clinical interventions for late life depression are worthwhile. It is recommended that funding be allocated to training in assessment and management, environmental initiatives to counter feelings of helplessness and lowered self-esteem, and research.

scholarly journals Mania in late life

2011 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 357-364
Author(s):  
Felicity Richards ◽  
Martin Curtice
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Specific Treatment ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Aging Population ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Treatment Algorithms ◽  
Assessment And Treatment ◽  
Old Age Psychiatry ◽  
Older Populations

SummaryMania in late life is a serious disorder that demands specialist assessment and management. However, it is greatly under-researched, with only a paucity of studies specifically analysing older populations. The mainstay of the old age psychiatry workload will inevitably be concerned with assessing and managing dementia and depression, but the steady rise in the aging population with longer survival means that there will be an increase in absolute numbers of older people presenting with mania. There are no specific treatment algorithms available for mania in late life. This article reviews mania and hypomania in late life and concentrates on diagnosis, assessment and treatment, as well as on the management considerations associated with this important age group.

Cancer in older patients

2003 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 203-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
N Beechey-Newman ◽  
D Kulkarni
Keyword(s):  
Life Expectancy ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Older Patients ◽  
Causes Of Death ◽  
Late Life ◽  
General Context ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Very High

As the number of people living to reach old age increases, so the proportion of cancers presenting in this age group increases to an even greater degree. Although 70% of all cancers in men and women occur over the age of 65 and in the over-75s, who are perhaps more appropriately classified as ‘elderly’, the figures are still very high (46% of all cancers occur in women over 75 and 35% in men over 75). As a consequence, cancer is rapidly becoming a problem of late life, and the management of patients in old age is an important part of general oncology. The magnitude of the overlap between old age and cancer is increasing because of improved life expectancy, more sensitive methods of diagnosing cancer and the biological fact that most cancers occur more commonly with increasing age. It is interesting, however, to put these figures into a more general context by examining the different causes of death in older patients by decade.

scholarly journals 11β-Hydroxylase (CYP11B1) gene variants and new-onset depression in later life

2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. E147-E153
Author(s):  
Marie-Laure Ancelin ◽  
Joanna Norton ◽  
Karen Ritchie ◽  
Isabelle Chaudieu ◽  
Joanne Ryan
Keyword(s):  
Major Depression ◽  
Major Gene ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Cumulative Exposure ◽  
Late Life Depression ◽  
Recurrent Depression ◽  
History Of ◽  
New Onset

Background: Cumulative exposure to high glucocorticoid levels is detrimental for the brain and may have particular implications in later life. A feature of late-life depression is increased cortisol secretion. Variants in the CYP11B1 gene, which codes for the enzyme responsible for cortisol synthesis, could influence risk of late-life depression, but this hypothesis has not been examined. We investigated the associations between variants in the CYP11B1 gene and late-life depression, taking into account history of depression and potential sexspecific effects. Methods: We assessed depression in 1007 community-dwellers aged 65 years or older (60% women) at baseline and over a 14-year follow-up. A clinical level of depression was defined as a score of ≥ 16 on the Centre for Epidemiology Studies Depression scale or a diagnosis of current major depression based on the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview and according to the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV). We examined incident and recurrent depression in participants without or with a history of major depression, respectively. We genotyped 5 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) spanning CYP11B1. We used multivariable analyses to adjust for age, body mass index, cardiovascular ischemic pathologies, hypertension, cognitive impairment and anxiety. Results: In women, rs6471580 and rs7016924 were associated with a 50% lower rate of incident (new-onset) late-life depression, and rs11783855 was associated with a 2.4-fold higher rate of late-life depression. These associations remained after correction for multiple testing, but we found no associations for recurrent depression in women or men. Limitations: This study focused on the major gene involved in corticosteroid biosynthesis, but other genes may also be implicated in this pathway. Conclusion: Variants of the CYP11B1 gene appear to be susceptibility factors for late-life depression in a sex-specific manner.

The prognosis of late-life depression in two contiguous old age psychiatry services: An exploratory study

2000 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 72-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. P. Philpot ◽  
I. Bin Drahman ◽  
C. J. Ball ◽  
A. J. D. Macdonald
Keyword(s):  
Old Age ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Late Life Depression ◽  
Old Age Psychiatry

Depression in old age

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (S2) ◽  
pp. 702-702
Author(s):  
B. Vukovic ◽  
D. Markovic-Zigic
Keyword(s):  
Old Age ◽  
Elderly Population ◽  
Severe Depression ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Chronic Illnesses ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Old People ◽  
Population Prevalence ◽  
Prevalence Of Depression ◽  
Mental Diseases

Depression in older people is related to the population over 65 years. The age of depression often go with chronic illnesses, various physical and mental diseases.Depression in old age is not a natural part. In the elderly population 1.4% suffered from severe depression. Compared with the rest of the population prevalence of major depression is twice as large in the age group of 70–85 years. Less severe depression have an instance 4–13%. Twice as many women than men have depression. The prevalence of depression is particularly high in the elderly with dementia.In this report we present how many old people in Serbia suffer of depression and what is new tendence in therapy.

Prevalence of and risk factors for minor and major depression among community-dwelling older adults in Taiwan

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 1113-1121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chi-Shin Wu ◽  
Shu-Han Yu ◽  
Chun-Yi Lee ◽  
Han-Yun Tseng ◽  
Yen-Feng Chiu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Major Depression ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Minor Depression ◽  
Prevalence Rates ◽  
Late Life Depression ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults

ABSTRACTBackground:This study was conducted to estimate prevalence rates and risk factors for late-life depression in a large nationwide representative sample from Taiwan.Methods:A total of 5,664, randomly sampled individuals aged ≥55 years were enrolled. Clinically, relevant depressive symptoms were classified using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D score ≥16), and major depression was confirmed using the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders. Individuals with clinically relevant depressive symptoms, who did not meet the strict diagnostic criteria for major depression, were considered to have minor depression. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify risk factors for major and minor depression, including socio-demographic characteristics, medical conditions, lifestyle behaviors, social support network, and life events.Results:The prevalence rates of minor and major depression were 3.7% and 1.5%, respectively. Major depression was associated with personal vulnerability factors, such as poor social support, cognitive impairment, comorbid pain conditions, and sleep disturbance. However, minor depression was more likely to be related to adverse life events, including increased burden on families, changes in health status, or relationship problem. Approximately, 20.0% of individuals with major depression received antidepressant treatment.Conclusions:Late-life depression was less prevalent among community-dwelling older adults in Taiwan than among populations in other countries. Our findings may aid the early detection and treatment of late-life depression and provide a basis for future investigations.

scholarly journals Morphometric analysis of neuronal and glial cell pathology in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in late-life depression

2009 ◽  
Vol 195 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmad Khundakar ◽  
Christopher Morris ◽  
Arthur Oakley ◽  
William McMeekin ◽  
Alan J. Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Major Depression ◽  
Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
White Matter Hyperintensities ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Post Mortem ◽  
Resonance Imaging ◽  
Late Life Depression ◽  
Neuronal Density ◽  
Dorsolateral Prefrontal

BackgroundLate-life depression has been associated with cerebrovascular disease and especially with ischaemic white matter hyperintensities on magnetic resonance imaging. Neuroimaging and morphometric studies have identified abnormalities in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.AimsTo examine glial and neuronal density and neuronal volume in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in late-life major depression.MethodWe used the disector and nucleator methods to estimate neuronal density and volume and glial density of cells in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in a post-mortem study of 17 individuals with late-life major depression and 10 age-matched controls.ResultsWe found a reduction in the volume of pyramidal neurones in the whole cortex, which was also present in layer 3 and more markedly in layer 5. There were no comparable changes in non-pyramidal neurones and no glial differences.ConclusionsOverall, we found a decrease in pyramidal neuronal size in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in late-life depression.

Soluble cell adhesion molecules in late-life depression

2007 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 914-920 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan J. Thomas ◽  
Christopher Morris ◽  
Sue Davis ◽  
Elizabeth Jackson ◽  
Richard Harrison ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Adhesion ◽  
Major Depression ◽  
Adhesion Molecules ◽  
Adhesion Molecule ◽  
Cell Adhesion Molecules ◽  
Rating Scales ◽  
Vascular Diseases ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Depression Severity ◽  
Late Life Depression

Background: Late-life depression has been associated with vascular diseases and with increases in circulating cytokines and cell adhesion molecules in the prefrontal cortex. We hypothesized that soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) would be increased in late-life major depression.Methods: Serum levels of sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1 were measured in subjects over 60 with major depression (N = 23), subsyndromal depression (N = 20) and controls (N = 25). Depression severity was assessed using the Montgomery-Åsberg (MDRS) and Geriatric Depression (GDS) rating scales.Results: There was no significant increase in sICAM-1 (p = 0.240) or sVCAM-1 (p = 0.600) in depression nor was there any correlation of either molecule with depression severity. Adjusting for differences in cognitive impairment did not alter these findings. There was also no difference between subjects with an early onset of depression (before 60) and those with late-onset depression.Conclusions: These findings do not provide evidence that previously reported increases in serum cytokines in depression are due to peripheral vascular disease. Although we assessed subjects for vascular diseases it is possible that subtle but important differences between groups may still have been present and may have contributed to our negative findings.Our results suggest central nervous system mechanisms, such as related to HPA axis activation, may be responsible for the enhanced inflammatory response in depression.

scholarly journals Prevalence of Depression among Residents of old age homes in Eastern Nepal

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-44
Author(s):  
N Sapkota ◽  
B Khadka ◽  
A Tiwari ◽  
A Poudel
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Elderly People ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Depressive Disorders ◽  
General Health Questionnaire ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Geriatric Depression ◽  
Prevalence Of Depression ◽  
Old Age Homes

Introduction: Geriatric depression is emerging mental disorder with old age. The present study was carried out to estimate the prevalence of depression among residents of elderly homes in Eastern Nepal and to measure the severity of the symptoms of depressive disorders. Material And Method: This study involved residents of old age homes in four different districts of Eastern Nepal, the participants were heterogeneous with diverse cultural background and ethnicity. All elderly people of age 60 years and above living in the old age homes were at first informed about the rationale of our study, we took the informed verbal(as most of the subjects were illiterate) or written consent before going through our questionnaire which was translated into Nepali language by a panel of translators using repeated “forward backward procedure.” General Health questionnaire was applied to all subjects. Geriatric Depression scale (GDS) was then applied to those subjects whose score on GHQ-12 was ≥6 and the categorization of the subjects as normal, mild depressives or severe depressives was done. Results: A total of 62 elderly people of 60 years and above from aforementioned old age homes were enrolled in our study, out of which, 48.38% of the respondents belong to age group of 60-69 years , 27.4% belong to the age group 70-79 and 24.2 % were 80 years and above. Out of total respondents, 56.46% showed normal mental status on our GHQ scale while 43.54% were screened to have some sorts of psychological problems. The GDS detected them with mild and severe depressive symptoms. Out of which, 81.48% had mild depressive symptoms while 18.52% were severe depressive symptoms. Prevalence of depression was found to be significantly related to family history of mental illness. Conclusion: Most of the people living in the old age home in Eastern Nepal are found to have depressive symptoms among which majority have mild depressive symptoms and few have severe depressive symptoms. It depicts the miserable mental health of the elderly people in old age home.

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