Objective: Introduction: Physical ill-health is reported to be one of the most consistent and robust correlates of late-life depression. However, the exact nature of the relationship remains elusive. Aim: To examine the association between various aspects of physical ill-health and late-life depression. In particular we investigated whether general aspects of physical ill-health (e.g. pain, disability, activity restriction) are more closely related to late-life depression then specific disease categories or vice-versa. Method: The study population comprised 138 subjects aged 65 years and over diagnosed with depression by AGECAT and 138 age- and sex-matched controls. Sociodemographic data were collected as were data regarding the presence and number of chronic diseases, disease severity, level of disability, activity restriction or handicap and presence of chronic pain. Using regression analyses the above factors were investigated for an association with late-life depression. Results: Factors significantly associated with depression were cardiovascular disease, arthritis, chronic respiratory disease, total number of chronic diseases, disability, handicap and chronic pain. When severity of medical illness was controlled for, all the individual disease categories lost their significance, with the exception of chronic respiratory disease. The associations between late-life depression and number of chronic diseases, disability, handicap and pain retained their significance. Conclusion: Measures of disablement (pathology, disability and handicap) and pain appear to be more closely related to late-life depression than individual disease categories. The observed relationship between chronic respiratory disease and depression in older people warrants further investigation.
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