Centre for Policy on Ageing



Depressive symptoms in the frail elderly: physical and psycho-social correlates
Author(s)	Amanda Smith Barusch, Anissa Rogers, Soleman H Abu-Bader
Journal title	International Journal of Aging and Human Development, vol 49, no 2, 1999
Pages	pp 107-125
Keywords	Depression ; Chronic illness ; Living in the community ; United States of America.
Annotation	Older people who suffer from chronic illness are at an unusually high risk of depression and depressive symptoms. This study was conducted to describe the prevalence of depressive symptoms in a sample of older persons with chronic illness and to examine the relationship between physical illness and depression, both as it is illuminated in a regression model and as it is understood by the respondents themselves. Interviews were conducted with a random sample of 100 clients in a community-based care programme for low-income older people at risk of nursing home placement. Over one-third of the sample (36%) reported significant depressive symptoms, as measured by the CES-D. Multiple regression analysis identified functional limitations, cognitive impairment and self-perception as significant correlates of depression in a model that explained 30 percent of the variance in CES-D scores. (AKM).
Accession Number	CPA-000410418 A
Classmark	ENR: CI: K4: 7T
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...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing.