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The Relationship of Aging and Dysthymia in Primary Care

Received August 23, 1999; revised December 15, 1999; accepted February 2, 2000. From the Department of Psychiatry, Dartmouth Medical School, Lebanon, NH; Western Psychiatric Institute, Pittsburgh, PA; Section of General Internal Medicine, Audie Murphy Division, South Texas Veterans Health Care System, University of Texas, San Antonio, TX; and the Department of Psychiatry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Send correspondence and requests for reprints to Dr. Oxman, Dartmouth Medical School, DHMC, One Medical Center Drive, Lebanon, NH 03756; e-mail: oxman{at}dartmouth.edu

The authors compared symptomatic and functional characteristics between older (age 60; n=91) and younger (age 18–59; n=125) primary care patients with dysthymia. Three of six significantly different depression symptoms were of moderate-to-large effect size, with the older group having a lower proportion reporting the symptom. The older group had a worse physical health function score but a better mental health function score. There appears to be a core of symptoms and functional impairment that generalizes across the age span. There are also significant age differences. Growing older appears to have an impact on the nature of what it means to have dysthymia.

Key Words: Other Mood Disorder • Primary Care • Dysthymia

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