Premium
Depressão e ansiedade em adultos e idosos com síndrome de Down: Resultados preliminares de um estudo prospectivo no Brasil
Author(s) -
Soares Cristiane Nogueira Rigoleto,
Forlenza Orestes Vicente
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.713
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1552-5279
pISSN - 1552-5260
DOI - 10.1002/alz.047615
Subject(s) - anxiety , depression (economics) , psychology , medicine , psychiatry , clinical psychology , gerontology , economics , macroeconomics
Background The study was conducted at a non‐governmental institution (APAE‐SP) dedicated to providing care and social inclusion for individuals with ID in São Paulo, Brazil. Method Twenty‐seven physically healthy young and older adults with DS (mean age: 38; range: 24‐60 years) of both genders (44,4% of females) were evaluated between March and June 2018 by a psychogeriatric team with the aid of the Glasgow Scale for Depression and Anxiety. This instrument encompasses 20 illustrated questions addressing the presence of depression symptoms (GS‐D), and 27 addressing anxiety symptoms (GS‐A). Each question yields three possible answers which may be scored as 0 (symptom absent), 1 (possible) and 2 (present). In the GS‐D subscale, a score of 13 or higher (out of a maximum score of 60 points) indicates the presence of depression, whereas the cut‐off for suspected cases according to the GS‐A subscale is 15 points (max. 81). Overall results obtained for each participant in the Glasgow Scale were cross‐validated with the informant’s report obtained by the CAMDEX‐DS schedule, reinforcing the perception of change in behavioral patterns of subjects with DS. Results 44.4% (n=12) of the GS‐D respondents had evidence of depressive symptoms (mean score 13,2; range 0 ‐60), and 53.8% (n=14) of the GS‐A respondents had anxiety symptoms (mean score 14,7; range 0‐81). The major concern in the former group was related to the fear of death of their relatives, legal guardians and/or caregivers; anxiety symptoms were associated with the perception of lack of perspectives in their lives and inability to cope with future demands. Conclusion The present study indicates the presence of depression and anxiety symptoms in a large proportion of adults with DS, corroborating previous studies and emphasizing the need for the systematic assessment of psychiatric symptoms in this population. The relationship between psychiatric symptoms and incident cognitive decline is yet to be determined.