Search results for ‘Subject term:"mental health problems"’ Sort:
Results 1 - 1 of 1
Age differences in symptom expression in patients with major depression
- Authors:
- HYBELS Celia F., LANDERMAN Lawrence R., BLAZER Dan G.
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 27(6), June 2012, pp.601-611.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Symptom expression was compared in middle-aged (below 60) and older (60+) depressed patients to determine whether symptom profiles differed by age. Patients diagnosed with major depression (N=664) were screened using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale and sections of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule. They were separated into homogeneous clusters based on symptom endorsement. Older patients were less likely to endorse crying spells, sadness, feeling fearful, being bothered, or feeling life a failure but were more likely to endorse poor appetite and loss of interest in sex. Older patients were also less likely to report enjoying life, feeling as good as others, feeling worthless, wanting to die, and thinking about suicide. Profiles supported heterogeneity in symptom expression. Clusters differed by age when other demographic, clinical, health, and social variables were controlled but did not support age-specific symptom profiles. Overall, older patients had later age of onset, had fewer lifetime spells, were more likely to have received electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), and were less likely to have comorbid anxiety. Older patients also had more cognitive impairment, health conditions, and mobility limitations but had higher levels of subjective social support and had experienced fewer stressful life events. It appears that there are age differences in symptom endorsement; however the data did not support a symptom profile unique to late-life depression.