The Physical Status of Geriatric Depression in the Community

• Main Authors: Cheng-Sheng Chen, 陳正生
• Other Authors: Mian-Yoon Chong
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2000
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/97785576995270044819

碩士 === 高雄醫學大學 === 行為科學研究所 === 88 === Depressive disorders are the most common psychiatric disorders among the old age population. Although the relationship between depressive disorders and physical morbidity has been established, there are some issues remained to be resolved, like heterogeneity of late life depression, representatives of study sample, and diversity of physical morbidity. This study aims at assessing the prevalence rate of depressive disorders and physical morbidity among the community old age population, and further examining the sociodemographic and physical status related risk factors. A randomized sample of 1500 subjects age 65 and over was selected from 3 communities. Research psychiatrists conducted psychiatric assessment using the GMS, and depressive disorders were diagnosed with the computer-assisted system, AGECAT. One-month prevalence of depressive disorders was found to be 21.2% (5.9% major depression; 15.3% neurotic depression) among the 1350 respondents. The prevalence of physical illness, sensory impairment, disability in daily living activities, pain complaints and medication use were found to be 84.8%, 37.0%, 19.5%, 33.7%, 61.8% respectively. Cataract, arthritis, gastrointestinal illness, heart problem, stroke, renal disease and liver disease were found associated with depressive disorders. Different risk factors regarding type of physical illness between major depressive disorder and neurotic depressive disorder would found. Sex, age, educational level, marital status and living area had the modulating effect on the relationship between depressive disorders and physical status. A logistic regression model revealed high risk of depressive disorders among female, low education level, subjects with pain complaints, sensory impairment, disability in daily living activities and medication use. The result of this study re-emphasized the importance of physical illness and the relationship to depression. Compression of physical morbidity is thus reiterated.