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The role of patient personality in the identification of depression in older primary care patients
Author(s) -
McCray Laura W.,
Bogner Hillary R.,
Sammel Mary D.,
Gallo Joseph J.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
international journal of geriatric psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.28
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1099-1166
pISSN - 0885-6230
DOI - 10.1002/gps.1791
Subject(s) - conscientiousness , neuroticism , extraversion and introversion , depression (economics) , personality , odds ratio , primary care , late life depression , psychiatry , psychology , clinical psychology , big five personality traits , identification (biology) , confidence interval , medicine , cognition , family medicine , biology , economics , social psychology , botany , macroeconomics
Background Our aim was to evaluate whether personality factors significantly contribute to the identification of depression in older primary care patients, even after controlling for depressive symptoms. Methods We examined the association between personality factors and the identification of depression among 318 older adults who participated in the Spectrum study. Results High neuroticism (unadjusted Odds Ratio (OR) 2.36, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) [1.42, 3.93]) and low extraversion (adjusted OR 2.24, CI [1.26, 4.00]) were associated with physician identification of depression. Persons with high conscientiousness were less likely to be identified as depressed by the doctor (adjusted OR 0.45, CI [0.22, 0.91]). Conclusion Personality factors influence the identification of depression among older persons in primary care over and above the relationship of depressive symptoms with physician identification. Knowledge of personality may influence the diagnosis and treatment of depression in primary care. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.