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Comorbid anxiety disorders in depressed elderly patients
E J Lenze1, B H Mulsant, M K Shear
1Intervention Research Center in Late-Life Mood Disorders, Department ofPsychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
The American Journal of Psychiatry
|April 28, 2000
Summary
Anxiety disorders are more common in elderly individuals with depression than previously thought. These comorbidities are linked to more severe depression symptoms and poorer social functioning in older adults.
Area of Science:
- Geriatric Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
- Epidemiology of Mental Disorders
Background:
- Anxiety disorders frequently co-occur with depressive disorders in adults.
- Previous research suggested a lower prevalence of anxiety disorders in older adults with depression.
- This study investigates anxiety disorder rates in elderly patients with depression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To measure current and lifetime prevalence of anxiety disorders in elderly patients with depression.
- To identify clinical features associated with comorbid anxiety disorders in this population.
- To challenge previous assumptions about low anxiety disorder rates in older depressed individuals.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study of 182 depressed subjects aged 60 and older.
- Utilized a structured diagnostic instrument to assess anxiety disorder history.
- Included primary care and psychiatric settings; modified instrument for generalized anxiety disorder detection.
Main Results:
- 35% of elderly depressed subjects had a lifetime anxiety disorder; 23% had a current diagnosis.
- Common current anxiety disorders included panic disorder (9.3%), specific phobias (8.8%), and social phobia (6.6%).
- Generalized anxiety disorder symptoms were present in 27.5%; comorbidity associated with poorer social function and increased somatic symptoms.
Conclusions:
- Findings indicate a higher prevalence of anxiety disorders in elderly depressed individuals than previously reported.
- Comorbid anxiety disorders and generalized anxiety disorder symptoms are associated with a more severe depressive illness presentation in the elderly.
- Highlights the importance of screening for anxiety disorders in older adults with depression.