Centre for Policy on Ageing



Depressive symptoms in the elderly — differences by adult drinking history
Author(s)	Alan Reifman, John W Welte
Journal title	Journal of Applied Gerontology, vol 20, no 3, September 2001
Pages	pp 322-337
Keywords	Depression ; Symptoms ; Alcoholism ; Alcoholic beverages ; United States of America.
Annotation	How depression in older people is related to their previous drinking over the life span was examined in some 2,300 over 60s in Erie County, New York state. In one type of analysis, respondents were classified into: those who abstained from alcohol throughout life; drank, but experienced no alcohol-related problems or symptoms; experienced problems only before age 60; experienced problems after age 60; or experienced alcohol-related problems both before and after age 60. Drinkers who never experienced alcohol problems had the lowest depression symptomatology; and individuals who experienced alcohol-related problems both before and after age 60 had the highest. Multiple regression analysis further confirmed the possible role of earlier (around ages 20 and 40) alcohol problems in predicting depression in old age. (RH).
Accession Number	CPA-011017205 A
Classmark	ENR: CT: ETA: YPP: 7T
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing

...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing.