HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ALL ISSUES SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a Colleague Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Diwan, S. Articles by Ramirez, P. M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Diwan, S. Articles by Ramirez, P. M.

Depression in Older Adults With Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders: Prevalence and Associated Factors

From SUNY Downstate Medical Center (SD, CIC, AOB, IV) and Long Island University (MK, PMR), Brooklyn, New York.

Rationale: Although depression is common in older adults with schizophrenia, it has not been well studied. The authors examine those factors that are related to depression in a multiracial urban sample of older persons with schizophrenia.

Methods: The schizophrenia group consisted of 198 persons aged 55 or older who lived in the community and developed schizophrenia before age 45. Persons with substantial cognitive impairment were excluded from the study. A community comparison group (N = 113) was recruited using randomly selected census tract data. The authors adapted George’s Social Antecedent Model of Depression, which consists of six categories comprising 16 independent variables, and used a dichotomous dependent variable based on a Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale cutoff score of 16.

Results: The schizophrenia group had significantly more persons with clinical depression than the community comparison group (32% versus 11%, respectively; ² = 28.23, df = 1, p = 0.001). Bivariate analysis revealed that eight of the 16 variables were significantly related to clinical depression in the schizophrenia group. In logistic regression, six variables retained significance: physical illness (odds ratio [OR] = 1.60, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.17–2.18), quality of life (OR = 0.84, 95% CI, 0.76–0.93), presence of positive symptoms (OR = 1.12, 95% CI, 1.02–1.21), proportion of confidants (OR = 0.03, 95% CI, 0.01–0.39), copes by using medications (OR = 2.12, 95% CI, 1.08–4.13), and copes with conflicts by keeping calm (OR = 1.34, 95% CI, 1.03–1.74).

Conclusion: Consistent with earlier studies of schizophrenia in older persons, the authors found physical health, positive symptoms, and several nonclinical variables to be associated with depression. Potential points for intervention include strengthening social supports, improving physical well-being, more aggressive treatment of positive symptoms, and increasing the recognition and treatment of depression.

Key Words: schizophrenia • depression • urban • multiracial

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. I. Cohen, I. Vahia, P. Reyes, S. Diwan, A. O. Bankole, N. Palekar, M. Kehn, and P. Ramirez Focus on Geriatric Psychiatry: Schizophrenia in Later Life: Clinical Symptoms and Social Well-being Psychiatr Serv, March 1, 2008; 59(3): 232 - 234. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				I. V. Vahia and C. I. Cohen Psychosocial Interventions and Successful Aging: New Paradigms for Improving Outcome for Older Schizophrenia Patients? Am J Geriatr Psychiatry, December 1, 2007; 15(12): 987 - 990. [Full Text] [PDF]