OBJECTIVES: To calculate the prevalence of emotional disorders in primary care, using a screening test--the Yesavage--and the association of emotional disorders with other variables, with the aim of identifying the profile of an elderly person most likely to be depressed at some juncture of his/her life. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, descriptive study. SETTING: Urban health care. PATIENTS AND OTHER PARTICIPANTS: Sample of 173 patients over 64 years old. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: An integrated geriatric assessment was conducted. The complete version of the Yesavage scale was used (30 items). 16% prevalence of depression (score over 15) was established. The following variables were associated with depression in a statistically significant way: feminine sex (p = 0.000009), age > or = 75 (p = 0.04), illiteracy or completion of only primary education (p = 0.01), dependence in one or more activities of daily life according to the Katz index (p = 0.0000006), personal history of depression (p = 0.01), current treatment for depression (p = 0.0002), daily consumption of three or more drugs (p = 0.0009) and social isolation (p = 0.00006). Multivariate analysis revealed that low educational level (p = 0.006), dependence in one or more activities of daily life (p = 0.008) and social isolation (p = 0.0008) are the variables most associated with depression. CONCLUSIONS: The association between low educational level and depression may be due to difficulty in understanding certain questions. A therapeutic intervention into established undiagnosed depressions took place. The Yesavage geriatric scale was useful in primary care for identifying undetected cases of emotional disorder.
OBJECTIVES: To calculate the prevalence of emotional disorders in primary care, using a screening test--the Yesavage--and the association of emotional disorders with other variables, with the aim of identifying the profile of an elderly person most likely to be depressed at some juncture of his/her life. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, descriptive study. SETTING: Urban health care. PATIENTS AND OTHER PARTICIPANTS: Sample of 173 patients over 64 years old. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: An integrated geriatric assessment was conducted. The complete version of the Yesavage scale was used (30 items). 16% prevalence of depression (score over 15) was established. The following variables were associated with depression in a statistically significant way: feminine sex (p = 0.000009), age > or = 75 (p = 0.04), illiteracy or completion of only primary education (p = 0.01), dependence in one or more activities of daily life according to the Katz index (p = 0.0000006), personal history of depression (p = 0.01), current treatment for depression (p = 0.0002), daily consumption of three or more drugs (p = 0.0009) and social isolation (p = 0.00006). Multivariate analysis revealed that low educational level (p = 0.006), dependence in one or more activities of daily life (p = 0.008) and social isolation (p = 0.0008) are the variables most associated with depression. CONCLUSIONS: The association between low educational level and depression may be due to difficulty in understanding certain questions. A therapeutic intervention into established undiagnosed depressions took place. The Yesavage geriatric scale was useful in primary care for identifying undetected cases of emotional disorder.
Authors: A Rispau Falgàs; M Soler Vila; I García Bayo; E Caramés Durán; A Espín Martínez; C García Pulido Journal: Aten Primaria Date: 1998-10-31 Impact factor: 1.137
Authors: M Alvarez Solar; A T de Alaiz Rojo; E Brun Gurpegui; J J Cabañeros Vicente; M Calzón Frechoso; I Cosío Rodríguez; P García López; R García-Cañedo Fernández; I Pardo González; A Suárez-González Journal: Aten Primaria Date: 1992-10-15 Impact factor: 1.137