Increased medical costs of a population-based sample of depressed elderly patients

BACKGROUND: We examined whether older adults with depressive symptoms below the diagnostic threshold and those with DSM-IV major depression and/or dysthymia have higher medical costs than those without depression. METHODS: We mailed the PRIME-MD 2-item depression screen to the patients of 2 large primary care clinics of a staff-model health maintenance organization in Seattle, Wash. All 11 679 patients 60 years and older with primary care providers at the participating clinics were included, and 8894 (76.2%) were successfully enrolled. An additional 107 patients were referred to the study by their primary care physician. Nonrespondents were slightly younger and had higher inpatient medical costs in the previous 6 months. Patients with positive findings on at least 1 item or referred by their family physician were offered an interview with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV. The total cost of medical services for the 6 months before the study was obtained from the cost accounting system of the health maintenance organization. RESULTS: Total ambulatory costs were 43% to 52% higher and total ambulatory and inpatient costs were 47% to 51% higher in depressed compared with nondepressed elderly patients after adjustment for chronic medical illness. This increase was seen in every component of health care costs, with only a small percentage due to mental health treatment. In mean costs, depressed elderly patients averaged an increase of 763 US dollars to 979 US dollars in ambulatory costs and 1045 US dollars to 1700 US dollars in ambulatory and inpatient costs. No differences in costs were noted between patients with subthreshold depressive syndromes and those with DSM-IV depressive disorders. CONCLUSION: Depressive symptoms and DSM-IV depressive disorders in elderly patients are associated with significantly higher health care costs, even after adjustment for chronic medical illness.     

Predictors of partial remission in older patients treated for major depression: the role of comorbid dysthymia.

OBJECTIVE: The authors studied demographic, clinical, social, and perceived health and well-being factors as predictors of partial remission in older patients treated for major depressive disorder (MDD). METHODS: The sample included 186 patients who met DSM-IV criteria for MDD and underwent naturalistic treatment. Remission status was determined by Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale score. Ordinal logistic-regression was used to model the relationship between predictors and remission on an ordinal scale. RESULTS: A total of 26.9% patients were in partial remission (score: 7-15), and 25.8% were not in remission (score: 16-60) 1 year after the index evaluation. In bivariate analyses, the odds of partial/no remission were significantly increased for those with comorbid MDD and dysthymia and for those with higher baseline depression scores, and decreased for those with higher perceived social support. Other factors potentially associated with outcome included number of mobility/IADL limitations, perceived stress, self-perceived health, life dissatisfaction, and heart trouble. Controlling for these potential confounders, comorbid MDD and dysthymia significantly predicted outcome. The effect of mobility/IADL limitations differed for those with comorbid dysthymia. CONCLUSIONS: Among older adults treated for MDD, factors predicting partial remission appear to be similar to those predicting no remission. Patients with comorbid MDD and dysthymia are at increased risk for poor outcome, and predictors may vary by dysthymia status.     

Depression in later-life Puerto Rican primary care patients: the role of illness, stress, social integration, and religiosity

BACKGROUND: Older Puerto Ricans belong to two rapidly growing demographic groups known to have high rates of depression: the aging and Hispanic populations. Studies of depression in Puerto Ricans have primarily focused on the impact of demographic factors and health. This study expands previous research, examining the relationships between depression and social stressors, social support, and religiosity, for Puerto Rican primary care patients aged 50 and older. PATIENTS: Participants included 303 Puerto Ricans from six primary care clinics in a northeastern city. METHODS: Patients completed in-person interview in Spanish. The Composite International Diagnostic Interview indicated depressive disorders meeting DSM-IV criteria. Bivariate and multivariate relationships between depression and demographics, health, social stress and support, and religiosity were explored. RESULTS: One fifth of participants met DSM-IV criteria for major depression or dysthymia. Participants with the lowest income, more recent migration, and poor subjective health were significantly more likely to be depressed. In addition, rates of depression increased steeply for patients caring for grandchildren and those with personal or family legal problems. Seeing few relatives each month and needing more instrumental, emotional, or financial support were also related to higher rates of depression. Unexpectedly, low objective illness severity correlated with increased depression, whereas religiosity and religious participation had no relationship to depression. CONCLUSIONS: The findings presented here indicate the potential for social stressors and inadequate supports to substantially increase the risk of depression in older Puerto Ricans in primary care settings. Further studies should explore incorporating these social risk factors into improved prevention, clinical detection, and culturally sensitive treatment of older depressed Puerto Ricans.     

The development and evaluation of the brief depression screen in medically ill disability claimants

OBJECTIVE: There is literature demonstrating elevated prevalence of depression in primary care. Yet there remains a need for a brief depression screen designed and evaluated specifically for use among medically ill patients. Our objective was to develop and validate a brief, unobtrusive screen for depression among severely medically ill long-term disability claimants. METHODS: The study sample consisted of 480 long-term disability claimants, less than 55 years of age, with one of the following illnesses: cancer, diabetes, myocardial infarction, rheumatoid arthritis, stroke, or multiple sclerosis. Each subject completed a questionnaire that included 26 potential screening items. A subset of subjects was administered the SCID, which served as the gold standard for the DSM-IV depression and dysthymia diagnoses. RESULTS: The Brief Depression Screen, a three-item screen for major depressive disorder and dysthymia, was developed. About 34 percent of the sample met criteria for major depressive disorder or dysthymia. The Brief Depression Screen detected 75 percent of those subjects in this sample. Furthermore, nearly half of the subjects with positive screen results met criteria for depression or dysthymia. These results are comparable to those of the eight-item Burnam screen, but not as sensitive as the more widely used, twenty item CES-D. CONCLUSION: The Brief Depression Screen was developed and evaluated for use with severely ill long-term disability claimants. In practice, a positive screen for depression is to be followed with a comprehensive diagnostic assessment that could be conducted by a trained clinician. Further research is warranted to determine whether the identification and treatment of depression in disability claimants with non-psychiatric medical illnesses will facilitate return to work, even in the presence of comorbid medical illnesses.     

Twelve-month course of depressive symptoms in older medical inpatients

BACKGROUND: The study aimed: (1) to describe the 12-month course of depressive symptoms among medical inpatients aged 65+, and (2) to investigate predictors of a more severe course that could be identified easily by non-psychiatric staff. METHODS: Patients were recruited at two Montreal hospitals. Inclusion criteria were: aged 65+, admitted to medical service, at most mild cognitive impairment. Patients were screened for major and minor depression (DSM-IV criteria). All depressed patients and a random sample of non-depressed patients were invited to participate in the prospective study. The Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) was administered at admission, 3, 6, and 12 months. Individual patient trajectories of depressive symptoms over time were grouped using hierarchical clustering into three patient groups with a minimal, mild, and moderate/severe course of symptoms, respectively. The baseline predictors of a more severe clinical course were identified using ordinal logistic regression. RESULTS: Two hundred and thirty-two patients completed baseline and one or more follow-up interviews. Baseline patient characteristics that independently predicted a more severe symptom course included higher initial HAMD score, depressive core symptoms lasting 6 months or more, and female sex. CONCLUSION: The 12-month course of depression symptoms in this medically ill older sample was generally stable. Patients who will experience a more severe course can be identified by non-psychiatric staff at admission to hospital.     

On the threshold of disorder: a study of the impact of the DSM-IV clinical significance criterion on diagnosing depressive and anxiety disorders in clinical practice

BACKGROUND: Two recent reanalyses of epidemiologic studies found that adding a clinical significance criterion reduced disorder prevalence. Patients presenting for clinical care are usually distressed or impaired by their symptoms; thus, the DSM-IV clinical significance criterion might have little impact on diagnosis in clinical practice. In the present report from the Rhode Island Methods to Improve Diagnostic Assessment and Services (MIDAS) project, we examine the impact of the DSM-IV clinical significance criterion on diagnostic frequencies of depressive and anxiety disorders in psychiatric outpatients. METHOD: 1500 psychiatric outpatients were evaluated with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV. We determined the percentage of patients who met symptom criteria but did not meet the DSM-IV clinical significance criterion for major depressive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social phobia, specific phobia, panic disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. RESULTS: No patient who met the symptom criteria for current major depressive disorder or PTSD failed to meet the clinical significance criterion. Less than 2% of patients meeting the symptom criteria for current GAD did not meet the clinical significance criterion. There was variability among the remaining anxiety disorders in the percentage of symptomatic patients who met the clinical significance criterion. CONCLUSION: In psychiatric patients, the clinical significance criterion had little impact on diagnosing major depressive disorder, GAD, and PTSD, disorders that are defined, in part, by disruptions of daily regulatory domains such as sleep, appetite, energy, and concentration. In contrast, the clinical significance criterion had a greater impact in determining whether phobic fears, obsessive thoughts, and panic attacks were sufficiently distressing or impairing to qualify for disorder status.     

Risk factors for major depression in older medical inpatients: a prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine risk factors for major depression in older medical inpatients. METHOD: In a prospective cohort study, 86 older medical inpatients without depression or antidepressant medication were assessed 3, 6, and 12 months after enrollment. Incident major depression was diagnosed using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, criteria. Potential predictive variables included sociodemographic variables, physical state, cognition, depressive symptoms, medication use, prior depressive episode, social network, support, and bereavement. Cox proportional hazards analysis (with backward variable elimination) was used to determine the best set of predictors. RESULTS: Twenty-six patients (30.2%) met criteria for incident major depression. Predictors of major depression included the following: prior depressive episode, birth outside Canada, low comorbidity, inadequate emotional support, fewer children seen, depressed mood, and diurnal variation. The risk of depression increased with the number of risk factors present. CONCLUSION: The seven identified risk factors may guide efforts to prevent major depression in older medical inpatients.     

Depressive disorders in maltreated children

This study examined the prevalence of depressive disorders in a sample of 56 7- to 12-year-old maltreated children. Overall, 18% of the sample met the diagnostic criteria for major depression, and 25% met the criteria for dysthymia, with the majority of the children who met the criteria for major depression also meeting the criteria for dysthymia. Ratings of the different types of maltreatment children experienced, together with measures of the children's social supports, attributional style, and cortisol secretion were examined to determine which maltreated children were most likely to evidence a depressive disorder. A discriminant analysis conducted using a subset of these measures correctly classified 91% of the sample in terms of their diagnostic status.     

Dysthymia among the community-dwelling elderly.

There are few data on the clinical features of dysthymia among the community-dwelling elderly. Forty elderly individuals with dysthymic disorder were identified following screening in the community with GMS-AGECAT. A detailed clinical history was obtained and DSM-IV checklists and standardized scales were used, at a second interview. Comparisons were made with a group of 630 non-depressed elderly from the same community. Dysthymia was predominately of late onset (93%) and associated with a major stressor in 65% of cases. Comorbid axis 1 disorders were present in 15% of dysthymics and an axis 2 disorder in 10%. The dysthymic group had significantly higher degrees of physical impairment than the non-depressed elderly. The symptom profile demonstrated prominent anxiety and functional features. Eighty-three per cent of the elderly with dysthymia had presented to their GP with anxiety/depressive symptoms at some stage during the dysthymic disorder. The presentation of dysthymia in older people differs from that in earlier life. Late life dysthymia is less associated with axes 1 and 2 comorbidity but is associated with significant degrees of physical impairment. Dysthymia in older people presents to primary care, rather than specialist services, and interventions must be delivered at this level.     

重性抑郁障碍或双相障碍患者抑郁发作伴随躁狂症状的临床特征

目的:了解重性抑郁障碍(MDD)或双相障碍抑郁发作患者出现躁狂症状的频率和程度。方法:对52例经简明国际神经精神访谈(MINI)、符合《美国精神障碍诊断与统计手册》第4版(DSMIV)重性抑郁障碍或双相障碍抑郁发作的患者,采用情感障碍评估量表(ADE)评估患者本次抑郁发作中出现的躁狂症状。结果:52例患者中有36例重性抑郁障碍,16例为双相障碍抑郁发作。至少有1条躁狂症状的患者达86.5%(n=45),至少有3条躁狂症状的患者占32.7%(n=17),而没有任何躁狂症状的患者仅占13.5%(n=7)。结论:抑郁发作患者大多存在不同程度的躁狂症状,及时识别这些症状,对诊断与治疗有指导意义。情感障碍评估量表是一个值得应用的评估情感发作的工具。     

Job performance deficits due to depression

OBJECTIVE: This study assessed the relationship between depression severity and job performance among employed primary care patients. METHOD: In a 2001-2004 longitudinal observational study of depression's affect on work productivity, 286 patients with DSM-IV major depressive disorder and/or dysthymia were compared to 93 individuals with rheumatoid arthritis, a condition associated with work disability, and 193 depression-free healthy control subjects. Participants were employed at least 15 hours per week, did not plan to stop working, and had no major medical comorbidities. Measures at baseline, six, 12, and 18 months included the Work Limitations Questionnaire for work outcomes, and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 for depression. RESULTS: At baseline and each follow-up, the depression group had significantly greater deficits in managing mental-interpersonal, time, and output tasks, as measured by the Work Limitations Questionnaire: The rheumatoid arthritis group's deficits in managing physical job demands surpassed those of either the depression or comparison groups. Improvements in job performance were predicted by symptom severity. However, the job performance of even the "clinically improved" subset of depressed patients remained consistently worse than the control groups. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple dimensions of job performance are impaired by depression. This impact persisted after symptoms have improved. Efforts to reduce work-impairment secondary to depression are needed.     

Characteristics and course of major depression in older primary care patients

OBJECTIVE: Identify the morbidity patterns displayed by older primary care patients experiencing depressive symptomatology who do and do not meet criteria for a major depression. METHOD: Patients ages sixty and older presenting at two ambulatory internal medicine centers were administered the CES-D. Among those scoring > or = 11, 104 completed a comprehensive assessment of their psychiatric symptomatology, medical illness, and functional abilities. The assessment battery was again administered six months later. RESULTS: The point prevalence of major depression in older primary care patients is estimated at 9 percent based on SCID interviews. Patients meeting criteria for this diagnosis compared to those who are symptomatic but not experiencing a major depression described more extensive psychopathology but also significantly more limitations in performing social and functional roles. At six-month follow-up, only 11.5 percent of those initially diagnosed with a major depression were considered fully recovered. CONCLUSIONS: Major depression is a prevalent disorder in older primary care patients which affects their ability to perform expected social and physical roles. Mechanisms for delivering efficacious treatments in routine medical practice are of a high priority.     

Executive dysfunction and long-term outcomes of geriatric depression

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the relationship of executive and memory impairment to relapse, recurrence, and course of residual depressive symptoms and signs after remission of geriatric major depression. METHODS: Fifty-eight elderly subjects remitted from major depression received continuation nortriptyline treatment (plasma levels 60-150 ng/mL) for 16 weeks and then were randomly assigned to either nortriptyline maintenance therapy or placebo for up to 2 years. Diagnosis was made using the Research Diagnostic Criteria and the DSM-IV criteria after an interview using the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia. Executive dysfunction and memory were assessed with the Dementia Rating Scale, disability and social support were rated with the Philadelphia Multiphasic Instrument, and medical burden was assessed with the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale. RESULTS: Abnormal initiation and perseveration scores, but not memory impairment, were associated with relapse and recurrence of geriatric depression and with fluctuations of depressive symptoms in the whole group and in subjects who never met criteria for relapse or recurrence during the follow-up period. Memory impairment, disability, medical burden, social support, and history of previous episodes did not significantly influence the outcome of depression in this sample. CONCLUSIONS: Executive dysfunction was found to be associated with relapse and recurrence of geriatric major depression and with residual depressive symptoms. These observations, if confirmed, will aid clinicians in identifying patients in need of vigilant follow-up. The findings of this study provide the rationale for investigation of the role of specific prefrontal pathways in predisposing or perpetuating depressive syndromes or symptoms in elderly patients.     

Major and subthreshold depression among older adults seeking vision rehabilitation services.

OBJECTIVE: Authors examined the potential risk factors of major and subthreshold depression among elderly persons seeking rehabilitation for age-related vision impairment. METHODS: Participants (N=584), age 65 and older, with a recent vision loss, were new applicants for rehabilitation services. Subthreshold depression was defined as a depressive syndrome not meeting criteria for a current major depression (i.e., minor depression, major depression in partial remission, dysthymia) or significant depressive symptomatology. RESULTS: Seven percent of respondents had a current major depression, and 26.9% met the criteria for a subthreshold depression. Poorer self-rated health, lower perceived adequacy of social support, decreased feelings of self-efficacy, and a past history of depression increased the odds of both a subthreshold and major depression, versus no depression, but greater functional disability and experiencing a negative life event were significant only for a subthreshold depression. Only a history of past depression was significant in increasing the odds of having a major versus a subthreshold depression. CONCLUSION: Results highlight similarities in characteristics of, and risk factors for, subthreshold and major depression. Future research is needed to better understand both the trajectory and treatment of subthreshold depression, relative to major depressive disorders.     

Low testosterone levels in elderly men with dysthymic disorder

OBJECTIVE: A decline in hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis function is often seen in elderly men, and dysthymic disorder is common. Symptoms of both HPG axis hypofunction and dysthymic disorder include dysphoria, fatigue, and low libido. The authors compared total testosterone levels in three groups of elderly men. METHOD: Total testosterone levels were measured in subjects who met DSM-IV criteria for major depressive disorder (N=13) or dysthymic disorder (N=32) and a comparison group (N=175) who had participated in an epidemiological study of male aging and had scored below the median on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, a well-validated, self-report depression symptom inventory. RESULTS: There were no differences among the three groups in measured demographic variables, including age and weight. Median testosterone levels varied for those with dysthymic disorder (295 ng/dl), major depressive disorder (425 ng/dl), and no depression (423 ng/dl). A test for differences in central tendency showed a statistically significant difference among the three groups. Post hoc pairwise comparisons revealed statistically significant differences between those with dysthymic disorder and those with major depressive disorder and no depression. CONCLUSIONS: Total testosterone levels were lower in elderly men with dysthymic disorder than in men with major depressive disorder and men without depressive symptoms. Dysthymic disorder in elderly men may be related to HPG axis hypofunction.     

Predictors of recovery from major depression among geriatric psychiatry inpatients: the importance of caregivers' beliefs

Caregiver support is an important factor in recovery from depression among older patients. We examined whether caregivers' perceptions regarding patients' ability to control depressive symptoms were related to depression recovery. Depression treatment, demographics, number of depressive symptoms, and health were controlled. The sample comprised 51 geriatric psychiatry inpatients who met DSM-IV criteria for major depression and who had a primary caregiver. Depression was assessed at both admission and discharge. Caregivers were asked to indicate whether they believed their patient-relatives could control their depressive symptoms. At discharge, 33 patients (64.7%) were "remitted" and 18 (35.3%) were "nonremitted." Multivariate analyses indicated that receiving electroconvulsive treatment, having fewer depressive symptoms caregivers perceived to be within patient control, and being female predicted depression remission at discharge. This study highlights the important relationship between family dynamics and course of depression.     

The Zurich study

Dysthymia was assessed in the prospective Zurich Cohort Study of young adults. The 1-year prevalence rate was around 3% if no exclusion criteria were applied. Pure dysthymics without major or recurrent brief depression accounted for about 1%. Most cases of dysthymia met the symptom criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD) and were characterized by a more continuous course. However, evidence presented in this paper suggests that a diagnosis separate from MDD is not warranted. The family history of dysthymic subjects did not differ from major depressives. The smaller group of primary dysthymics, on the other hand, did not differ from controls as regards family history for treated depression. The low prevalence rates, taken together with methodological problems involved in assessing dysthymia and the lack of a distinct course, suggest that dysthymia does not constitute a valid subtype of depression in an age group of 20-30 years of the community. Dysthymia belongs to the wide spectrum of major depressive syndromes and represents only a subgroup characterized by specific course characteristics.     

Guideline for the management of late-life depression in primary care

OBJECTIVE: To develop a guideline for the primary care management of depression in later life based on best practice. METHOD: Source material included relevant guidelines, literature reviews and consensus documents coupled with an updated literature review covering 1998-October, 2001. This material was summarised as a series of evidence-based statements and recommendations agreed by consensus. RESULTS: Good quality evidence exists for the pharmacological and psychological treatment of depressive episode (major depression), although not specifically in primary care. There is some evidence of efficacy of antidepressants in late-life dysthymia and minor depression associated with poor functional status. In depressive episode, current evidence suggests acute treatment for at least six weeks and a continuation period of at least 12 months. Both tricyclic antidepressants and Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors are effective in longterm prevention. There is less data on how to manage patients who do not respond in the acute treatment phase. More data is needed on sub-groups of patients with specific co-morbid medical conditions and those who are frail. Collaborative care is effective in older depressed primary care patients. CONCLUSIONS: There are effective treatments for depression in primary care. More research is needed to address the optimum treatment of depression with medical co-morbidity and to elucidate the role of newer psychological interventions. Collaborative care between primary care and specialist services is a promising new avenue for management.     

Target symptoms for fluvoxamine in old age depression

INTRODUCTION: Old age depression is difficult to treat. It is presumed that the underlying biochemical mechanism differs from that of depression of younger age. Clinical manifestations also differ, as elderly people manifest more irritability, anxiety, conduct and cognitive disorders than pessimism or guilt. Response to treatment is believed to be poorer than in younger patients. METHOD: Fifty patients, with a mean age of 66.65, suffering from major depression or dysthymia according to DSM-IV criteria, took part in the study. Their mean HDRS score was 16.77. They were prescribed 100 mg of fluvoxamine daily. Half of them returned 3 months later for reassessment by GDS, HDRS, MMSE, CAMCOG and FRSSD. RESULTS: Mean changes in scores were: GDS, -3.14 +/- 10.86; MMSE, -0.96 +/- 3.34; CAMCOG, +1.59 +/- 8.95; and FRSSD -3 +/- 4.96; statistically significant differences were found for GDS and FRSSD scores. All patients manifested residual symptoms. CONCLUSION: Fluvoxamine improved elderly patients suffering from geriatric depression, particularly in respect of depressive thought content (GDS) and impairment in everyday activities (FRSSD). When cognitive impairment due to depression was present, response to treatment was greater. Severely depressed patients showed a greater response to treatment, but also more severe residual symptoms. (Int J Psych Clin Pract 2000; 4:127-134) 3.17 +/- 4.06; HDRS,