Centre for Policy on Ageing



Depressive symptoms predicting six-year mortality in depressed elderly Finns
Author(s)	Tuula Pulska, Kimmo Pahkala, Pekka Laippala
Journal title	International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, vol 15, no 10, October 2000
Pages	pp 940-946
Keywords	Depression ; Death ; Longitudinal surveys ; Finland.
Annotation	The specific symptoms of depression associated with increased mortality in depressed older people are poorly known. The aim of this paper is to analyse the individual depressive symptoms measured by the Zung Self Rated Depression Scale (ZSDS) and the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRDS) in association with mortality among depressed older subjects. The population consisted of 169 depressed (DSM-III criteria) aged 65 and over from a Finnish epidemiological research project. The follow-up for deaths continued for about 6 years. When age, sex, smoking, physical health and functional abilities were taken into account, dissatisfaction, weight loss and gastro-intestinal symptoms (anorexia and constipation) predicted mortality together with high age and poor physical health. Weight loss was related to an increased risk of death, specifically in the depressed. Dissatisfaction and gastro-intestinal symptoms were more general markers of increased mortality. (RH).
Accession Number	CPA-001107218 A
Classmark	ENR: CW: 3J: 76L
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