Natural course of depressive symptoms in late life. An 8-year population-based prospective study

The aim of the study was to follow the natural course of late-life depressive symptoms within a German population-based study.

Within the Leipzig Longitudinal Study of the Aged (LEILA 75+), a representative sample of 1265 individuals aged 75 years and older were interviewed every 1.5 years over 8 years. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D, German-specific cut-off score ≥23).

The incidence of depressive symptoms was 34 per 1000 person-years (95% confidence interval 31-37). In a multivariate regression model, female gender, poor self-rated health status, stroke, risky alcohol consumption, a poor social network, higher number of specialist visits, functional impairment, and CES-D score at baseline were significant risk factors of future depressive symptoms. We observed remission in 60%, an intermittent course in 17% and a chronic course in 23% of the participants. No baseline characteristic distinguished the remission group from the persistently depressed.

Depressive symptoms in late life are common and highly persistent. In the present study encountered risk factors entailed potentialities for secondary prevention.