| |
| |
| |
Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
 | |
|
| Differentiating somatic symptoms in the elderly: depression, aging, or illness? | | Author(s) | Margaret P Norris, Michelle D Woehr |
| Journal title | Journal of Mental Health and Aging, vol 4, no 3, Fall 1998 |
| Pages | pp 347-359 |
| Keywords | Depression ; Health [elderly] ; Sleep disorders ; Evaluation ; United States of America. |
| Annotation | This study investigated whether the exclusion of all somatic symptoms in the assessment of depression may cause depression to be overlooked in older people. It was predicted that a subset of somatic items from three depression inventories would be: reliable symptoms of depression; more severe in depressed than non-depressed individuals; and accurate indices for classifying the presence and absence of clinically significant depression. A total of 69 older medical patients aged between 56 to 88 years old, were administered the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Center for Epidemiological Studies - Depression Scale, and the Geriatric Depression Scale. Numerous somatic items assessing diminished energy, sleep disturbance, and health worries were consistent and valid indices of depression. In contrast, poor indices of depression included somatic items that assess work inhibition, weight loss, and loss of sexual drive. The results refute the assumption that all somatic symptoms of depression are poor indices of depression in older people. (AKM). |
| Accession Number | CPA-981202406 A |
| Classmark | ENR: CC: CTS: 4C: 7T |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
|
| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
| |
|
|