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Comorbid Psychiatric Disorders in Elderly Medical Patients: A 1‐Year Prospective Study
Author(s) -
Rapp Stephen R.,
Parisi Sharon A.,
Wallace Clinton E.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1991.tb01613.x
Subject(s) - psychosocial , medicine , comorbidity , depression (economics) , psychiatry , mental health , geriatrics , gerontology , macroeconomics , economics
Cross‐sectional studies have revealed a high prevalence of comorbid psychological problems among geriatric medical patients, a low rate of detection by primary care professionals, and greater psychosocial dysfunction and poorer physical health associated with comorbidity. Less is known about the course and impact of psychiatric comorbidity. Psychiatric status, physical health status, psychosocial functioning, and health care utilization for a sample of geriatric patients ( n = 102 ) were assessed on admission to a medical hospital and again one year later. Results revealed a very stable and high prevalence of comorbid psychological problems, especially depression, a low rate of treatment by mental health professionals, greater physical impairment consistently associated with psychiatric comorbidity, but few health care utilization differences. A closer look at depression revealed that it typically began in late life and did not readily resolve .