Premium
Prevalence of depressive symptoms among the elderly: A longitudinal study
Author(s) -
Niino Naoakira,
Ihara Kazushige,
Suzuki Takao,
Shibata Hiroshi
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
geriatrics and gerontology international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.823
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1447-0594
pISSN - 1444-1586
DOI - 10.1111/j.1444-0594.2003.00093.x
Subject(s) - medicine , depression (economics) , cohort , geriatric depression scale , depressive symptoms , cohort study , gerontology , longitudinal study , demography , psychiatry , cognition , pathology , sociology , economics , macroeconomics
Aim: Depression is a common psychiatric problem in late life. The purpose of the present study was to assess the prevalence of depressive symptoms among community‐dwelling elderly, both cross‐sectionally and longitudinally. Methods: This study was a part of the community study in a large cohort of elderly people aged 65 and over in Nangai Village, Japan. Data on depressive symptoms from the fifth survey in 2000 were analyzed cross‐sectionally and also combined with data from the first survey in 1992 to assess aging and cohort effects. Depressive symptoms were measured by the short form of Geriatric Depression Scale. Results: Among 1195 respondents at the fifth survey, the prevalence of depressive symptoms was 22.3%. In 457 subjects who responded at both surveys, mean depression score or prevalence of depressive symptoms tended to be higher at the fifth survey than at the first survey. The difference in prevalence between the first survey and the fifth survey among individuals of the same age groups was significant only in the oldest group (77 years and over). Conclusion: Among Japanese community‐dwelling elderly people, aging effects on depressive symptoms were found, though marked cohort effects were not confirmed.