Sleep complaints among older general practice patients: association with depression.

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of subjective sleep difficulties among general practice patients aged 60 years and over and to investigate their association with depression (CES-D>or=16). Sixty-three per cent of the 1029 participants reported experiencing sleep difficulties. Subjects who reported sleep problems were 3.7 times (95% confidence interval = 2.5 to 5.5) more likely to be depressed than those who did not (adjusted for age, sex, financial burden and perceived health). GPs should consider screening for the presence of depressive symptoms whenever older adults complain of sleep difficulties.