Centre for Policy on Ageing



Community surveys of late-life depression — who are the non-responders?
Author(s)	Ulrich Freudenstein, Anthony J Arthur, Ruth J Matthews
Journal title	Age and Ageing, vol 30, no 6, November 2001
Pages	pp 517-522
Keywords	Depression ; General practice ; Living in the community ; Questionnaires ; Methodology ; Melton Mowbray.
Annotation	The generalisability of community surveys of older people can be affected by both the level and nature of non-response. In a 2-stage study of late-life depression undertaken in Melton Mowbray, particularly in the first stage were more likely to be in contact with health services and tended to live in more affluent areas. Among those eligible for the second-stage psychiatric interview, participants were less likely to be receiving tranquillizers or hypnotics. To encourage older people to take part in community surveys, researchers need to look outside of traditional health service settings to ensure that those who have little contact with health services are not indirectly excluded from studies. The audit of primary care records alongside epidemiological surveys offers a way to identify factors associated with response bias. (RH).
Accession Number	CPA-020121213 A
Classmark	ENR: L5: K4: 3DA: 3D: 8LEC
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...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing.