Depression in elderly outpatients with disabling chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Pulmonology
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Depression is frequently observed in both young adults and elderly individuals diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
• Elderly individuals with COPD often experience depressive symptomatology, necessitating further investigation into its prevalence and contributing factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the prevalence of depressive symptomatology in elderly outpatients with stable, disabling COPD against healthy controls and age-matched individuals with other disabilities.
• To assess the relationship between the degree of disability, quality of life, and the presence of depressive symptoms in elderly COPD patients.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study involving 96 elderly COPD patients, 55 healthy controls, and 53 disabled controls (all aged 70-93 years).
• Exclusion criteria included acute respiratory exacerbation, recent oral steroid use, prior psychiatric disorders, and confusion.
• Depressive symptomatology was screened using the Brief Assessment Schedule Depression Cards (BASDEC) questionnaire.

Main Results:

• 46% of COPD patients (44/96) screened positive for depressive ideation, compared to 11% of healthy controls (6/55) and 26% of disabled controls (14/53).
• In the COPD group, quality of life (P<0.0001) and activities of daily living (P=0.001) significantly predicted depressive symptoms.
• Spirometry results (FEV1) and exercise tolerance (6-min walk distance) did not predict depressive symptoms (R2 = 0.50).

Conclusions:

• Depressive symptoms are highly prevalent in elderly patients diagnosed with COPD.
• The severity and/or prevalence of depressive symptoms in COPD patients may be linked to the degree of their physical disability.