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Updated: Jul 31, 2026
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A New Method for Inducing a Depression-Like Behavior in Rats
Published on: February 22, 2018
[Depression among the elderly in Switzerland]
M Gostynski1, V Ajdacic-Gross, F Gutzwiller
1Institut für Sozial- und Präventivmedizin der Universität Zürich, Switzerland. mjgost@ifspm.unizh.ch
Der Nervenarzt
|September 7, 2002
Summary
This study found that older women experience higher rates of depression than men. While age and gender are linked to depression, gender emerged as a stronger risk factor in multivariate analysis.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Psychiatry
- Epidemiology
Context:
- Cross-sectional study in Zurich and Geneva (1995/96) involving 921 adults aged 65+.
- Utilized the Canberra Interview for the Elderly and psychogeriatric assessment scales (PAS) for depression assessment per DSM-III-R criteria.
- Examined dementia, depression, and disability in an elderly population.
Purpose:
- To assess the prevalence of depression and depressive symptoms in older adults.
- To investigate the independent effects of age and gender on the risk of depression.
- To explore associations between depression, dementia, and daily living activities.
Summary:
- Average Number of Depressive Symptoms (NDS) was 1.27, with females (1.53) showing significantly higher NDS than males (1.05).
- Prevalence Rate of Depression (PRD) was 8.0% overall, with females (10.4%) significantly higher than males (3.9%).
- NDS and PRD increased with age, education level, and marital status (divorced/widowed), and were associated with dementia and disability.
Impact:
- Multivariate analysis identified gender as a significant risk factor for NDS, while age's independent effect was less pronounced.
- Logistic regression confirmed significant associations between age, gender, and depression after adjusting for other factors.
- Findings highlight gender disparities in depression among the elderly and its comorbidity with cognitive and functional decline.
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