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Better health in retirement: keeping well and what to do if things go wrong
- Author:
- ROBERTS Anne
- Publisher:
- Age Concern
- Publication year:
- 2001
- Pagination:
- 154p.
- Place of publication:
- London
Attention to the body’s changing needs and some knowledge of how to deal with common illnesses can lead to a long and healthy retirement. Written in non-medical language the author gives practical, expert advice and information to help everyone keep as healthy as possible in later life. Topics include: developing a healthy lifestyle; health checks and screening; common illnesses of later life; using the Health Service; and help for older carers. This book also provides clear guidance on areas such as depression, sleeping well and relaxation techniques. Positive and upbeat, this book will equip readers with all of the information needed to take charge of their own health.
Validation and normative data of health status measures in older people: the Islington study
- Authors:
- PETTIT T., et al
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 16(1), January 2001, pp.1061-1070.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Health related quality of life scales have been developed to measure a global picture of health and well-being from the patient's perspective. Examines the validity and acceptability of two health status measures the 12-item Health Status Questionnaire (HSQ-12) and 12-item Short Form Health Survey SF-12, and presents population norms in older people. Uses a door-to-door survey in Islington, a borough of inner London. The first 135 people who completed the HSQ-12 were visited approximately 18 months later. Data was collected on health and social care, and subjective health problems. Results found the SF-12 and HSQ-12 were acceptable and valid as health status instruments in large community-based studies of older people. The HSQ-12, but not the SF-12, was acceptable and valid for people with dementia.
Depressive symptoms among cognitively normal versus cognitively impaired elderly subjects
- Authors:
- LI Yang-Sheng, MEYER John S., THORNBY John
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 16(5), May 2001, pp.455-461.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Article analyses the prevalence and severity of depressive symptoms among patients with Alzheimer's disease (DAT), vascular dementia (VAD), and among the cognitively normal elderly. Risk factors contributing to depression were likewise evaluated. Found that prevalence of depressive symptoms among VAD, DAT, and cognitively normal elderly were 31.4%, 19.9%, and 13.2%, respectively. 25.5% of VAD and 13.2% of DAT patients had depression of mild to moderate degrees. Analysis revealed that diagnosis of VAD and DAT, heart disease, and past history of depression was significantly associated with high depression scores. There was no correlation between degree of depression and severity of cognitive impairments. Concludes that mild to moderate depression is a common comorbidity with organic dementia, especially VAD, but associated depression is independent of severity of cognitive impairments.
Reminiscence, personality, and psychological functioning in older adults
- Authors:
- CULLY Jeffrey A., LAVOIE Donna, GFELLER Jeffrey D.
- Journal article citation:
- Gerontologist, 41(1), February 2001, pp.89-95.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Examines the relationships between the frequency and functions of reminiscence, personality styles, and psychological functioning. Seventy-seven healthy older adults in the USA completed various self-report scales. Results indicated that individuals with negative psychological functioning frequently reminisce as a way to refresh bitter memories, reduce boredom, and prepare for death. This provides implications for both researchers and clinicians. Contrary to previous studies, results indicate that depressed and anxious older adults commonly use reminiscence and therefore may be appropriate candidates for reminiscence treatments.
Stress coping and depression among Japanese American elders
- Authors:
- SHIBUSAWA Tazuko, MUI Ada C.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 36(1/2), 2001, pp.63-81.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
This study examines the correlates of depression among among 131 community-dwelling Japanese American elders. Predictors of depression were examined from a stress and coping framework. Depression was measured using the Geriatric Depression Scale. Multiple regression analyses revealed that health, fear of dependency on family, number of close friends, and availability of emotional support were associated with depression. This contradicts previous studies which indicate that traditional Japanese values of interdependence facilitate dependency on family. Presents some culturally appropriate ways for social workers to address fear of dependency among Japanese American elders.
Subjective health measures and acute treatment outcomes in geriatric depression
- Authors:
- LENZE Eric J., et al
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 16(12), December 2001, pp.1149-1155.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
This study examines measures of self-rated health, physical disability, and social function as predictors of treatment response in late life- depression, and to assess these same health measures as treatment outcomes. Results found subjects with poorer self-rated health as baseline were more likely both to drop out of treatment and to not respond to adequate treatment. This relationship was independent of demographic measures, severity of depression, physical and social functioning, medical illness, personality, hopelessness, overall medication use, and side effects or non-compliance with treatment. Although this finding is preliminary it suggests that lower self-rated health may independently predict premature discontinuation of treatment for depression. Additionally, subjects who recovered from depression showed significantly improvements in self-rated health, physical disability, and social functioning.
On becoming depressed or anxious in late life: similar vulnerability factors but different effects of stressful life events
- Authors:
- de BEURS Edwin, et al
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Psychiatry, 179, November 2001, pp.426-431.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
This research aimed to delineate risk factors for the decline of mental health in older persons, compares risk profiles for developing symptoms of pure depression, pure anxiety and both anxiety and depression in a prospective design. Self-report data on depression and anxiety were collected from community-dwelling older respondents on two occasions, 3 years apart. After 3 years 9% of the subjects had scored beyond the thresholds for symptoms. Vulnerability for depression and anxiety was quite similar, but life events differed: onset of depression was predicted by death of a partner or other relatives; onset of anxiety was best predicted by having a partner who developed a major illness. No support for moderator effects between vulnerability factors and stress was found; the effects were purely additive. Concludes that depression and anxiety have many risk factors in common, but specific risk factors also were found, especially in subjects developing both depression and anxiety.
Hidden psychiatric morbidity in elderly prisoners
- Authors:
- FAZEL Seena, et al
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Psychiatry, 179, December 2001, pp.535-539.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
This research examined the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity in elderly sentenced prisoners. A sample of 203 male sentenced prisoners aged over 59 years, from 15 prisons in England and Wales was interviewed using semistructured standardised instruments for psychiatric illness and personality disorder. The prevalence of depressive illness was five times greater than that found in other studies of younger adult prisoners and elderly people in the community. Underdetected, undertreated depressive illness in elderly prisoners is an increasing public health problem.
Negative symptoms in the elderly patient with dementia
- Authors:
- REICHMAN William E., NEGRON Arnaldo
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 16(S1), December 2001, pp.7-11.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Negative symptoms are a well-documented and studied feature of schizophrenia. However, behaviourial alterations such as apathy, social withdrawal and emotional disengagement appear to be commonly found in patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease. This paper briefly review the phenomenology of negative symptoms in the elderly, focusing on their presence in dementia and more specifically, Alzheimer's disease. Calls for further research to identify pharmacological treatments that significantly reduce the severity of negative symptoms in older patients suffering from dementia as well as schizophrenia.
Profile of discrete emotions in affective disorders in older primary care patients
- Authors:
- SEIDLITZ Larry, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Gerontologist, 41(5), October 2001, pp.643-651.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
This research examined whether the frequencies of specific emotions are associated with major and minor depression in older primary care patients in the USA. Older primary care patients prescreened with a depression questionnaire, completed a diagnostic interview and an emotions questionnaire. Controlling for age, sex and other psychiatric and medical illnesses, major depressives differed from nondepressed controls in nine emotions; minor depressives differed from controls in four emotions. Major depressives differed from the controls more in sadness, joy, and interest-but not anger, fear, or guilt-than in comparison sets of emotions. Minor depressives differed from the controls more in sadness and inner-directed hostility-but not guilt, anger, fear, joy, or interest- than in comparison sets of emotions. The frequencies of discrete emotions are differentially associated with major and minor depression; future research is needed to determine their specific diagnostic and treatment implications.