Importance of Screening for Irritability When Assessing for Geriatric Depression

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Psychiatry
• Mental Health Research
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Geriatric depression is prevalent but often underdiagnosed.
• Somatic complaints and irritability are common in older adults but not formal depression criteria.
• Irritability may serve as an overlooked indicator for depression in the elderly.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the frequency of irritability in adults aged 60 and older.
• To assess the utility of irritability as a marker for detecting geriatric depression.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective chart review of 2,300 individuals referred to a clinic (January 2015-February 2023).
• Depression assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II).
• Irritability measured via a 2-item screening tool assessing subjective and observed irritability.

Main Results:

• Of 1,317 participants, 514 (40%) reported irritability.
• Individuals with irritability had significantly higher BDI-II scores (P < .001).
• Depressed participants (n=488, 37%) reported significantly more irritability than non-depressed individuals (P < .001).

Conclusions:

• Irritability is significantly associated with higher depression scores in older adults.
• Clinicians should screen for irritability in geriatric patients, alongside traditional methods.
• Irritability is a valuable marker for facilitating the detection and treatment of geriatric depression.