Depression and its correlates among older adults accessing aging services

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Psychiatry
• Public Health

Background:

• Late-life depression significantly impacts older adults' quality of life and healthcare utilization.
• Community-based care managers are often the first point of contact for aging services, making them crucial for identifying unmet needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence and associated factors of depression in older adults at the initial assessment stage within aging services.
• To inform the development of integrated care models for late-life depression involving Aging Services Providers.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 378 Aging Services Provider Network (ASPN) clients underwent in-home assessments.
• The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR (SCID) for affective disorders was administered, along with measures for depression severity, substance use, health, function, social support, life events, and religiosity.

Main Results:

• 31% of participants had clinically significant depressive symptoms, and 27% met criteria for a major depressive episode.
• Disability, multiple medical conditions, recent stressful life events, low social support, and low religiosity were independently linked to major depression.
• Nearly half (47%) had a history of major depression, with many current cases undertreated.

Conclusions:

• Depressive illness is prevalent among older adults accessing aging services.
• ASPN care managers are well-positioned to identify, prevent, and collaborate in treating depression due to their expertise in managing correlated issues.