Depressive symptoms predicting six-year mortality in depressed elderly Finns

The specific symptoms of depression associated with increased mortality in the depressed elderly are poorly known. The aim of this paper is to analyse the individual depressive symptoms measured by the Zung Self Rated Depression Scale (ZSDS) and the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) in ass...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of geriatric psychiatry 2000-10, Vol.15 (10), p.940-946
Main Authors: Pulska, Tuula, Pahkala, Kimmo, Laippala, Pekka, Kivelä, Sirkka-Liisa
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Activities of Daily Living
Adaptation, Psychological
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
Age Factors
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Aging - psychology
Biological and medical sciences
Depression
Depression - psychology
depression, mortality
depressive disorder
Depressive Disorder - mortality
Depressive Disorder - psychology
depressive symptoms
Female
Finland - epidemiology
Follow-Up Studies
Health Status
Humans
Male
Medical sciences
Mood disorders
mortality
Predictive Value of Tests
Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Risk Factors
Sex Factors
Smoking
Survival Rate
Weight Loss
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Summary:The specific symptoms of depression associated with increased mortality in the depressed elderly are poorly known. The aim of this paper is to analyse the individual depressive symptoms measured by the Zung Self Rated Depression Scale (ZSDS) and the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) in association with mortality among depressed elderly subjects. The population consisted of 169 depressed (DSM‐III criteria) aged (65+ years) persons from a Finnish epidemiological research project. The follow‐up for deaths continued for about 6 years. When age, sex, smoking, physical health and functional abilities were taken into account, dissatisfaction, weight loss and gastrointestinal symptoms (anorexia and constipation) predicted mortality together with high age and poor physical health. Weight loss was related to an increased risk of death, specifically in the depressed. Dissatisfaction and gastrointestinal symptoms were more general markers of increased mortality. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
ISSN:0885-6230
1099-1166
DOI:10.1002/1099-1166(200010)15:10<940::AID-GPS220>3.0.CO;2-C