Depression in Older Adults: Unrecognized, Untreated
-
Too often, depression in individuals aged 60 years and older goes unrecognized and untreated or not treated appropriately, results of a large population-based study show. The investigators note that in Sweden and most other European countries, depression is mainly managed in primary care settings. However, they note that a 2009 meta-analysis published in the Lancet showed that the diagnostic sensitivity of major depression in this setting was below 50% in individuals aged 65 years and older.
-
@srabani The researchers sought to estimate the prevalence of depression and depression treatment in a population-based sample of individuals aged 60 to 101 years and to identify the individual profile of those who received treatment. The study included 3084 individuals without dementia who were participants in the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care in Kunsgholmen (SNACK-K) in Stockholm between 2001 and 2004. Study participants were examined by experienced physicians who carried out a general medical examination and a semistructured psychiatric examination that included ratings of current psychiatric signs and symptoms according to the Comprehensive Psychopathological Rating Scale (CPRS).