Background: Depression is common among older people but more common among those living in care homes. Depression is not easily detected among older adults because of the presentation, and the tendency for older people not to complain of depression, particularly those living in care homes. In general, care home staff have limited training in recognising depression. Depression is undertreated and residents may not receive a therapeutic dose of antidepressant. The true prevalence of depression among care home residents is uncertain.
Method: This feasibility study aimed to explore the level of depression among older people in care homes by comparing the outcome of an assessment by care home staff with the outcome of a diagnostic clinical interview, using ICD-10 criteria and the 30-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), conducted by a psychiatrist.
Results: In all, 47 older people from four care homes were interviewed by a psychiatrist. Of them, 39.1% (18/46) of residents were prescribed an antidepressant and were no longer depressed; 8.7% (4/46) were prescribed an antidepressant and remained depressed; and 6.5% (3/46) of residents assessed as being depressed, had not been prescribed an antidepressant. That is, 54% (25/46) of residents had been or were currently depressed. Using ICD-10 criteria, the sensitivity of the GDS at a threshold of 10 and 11 was 100%. In total, 89.4% of residents received a correct diagnosis (presence or absence of depression) using the GDS at the 11 threshold.
Summary: The prevalence of depression in these homes was 54%. Of the residents with depression, 72% (18/25) were managed with an antidepressant and 28% (7/25) were receiving ineffective or no treatment. The 30-item GDS can provide more useful information than a home care staff assessment for identifying depression. More research should explore the value of training home care staff to administer the 30-item GDS to optimise the management of depression in older people in care homes.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1463423611000144 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Association between dysphagia and social isolation in community-dwelling older people.
Eur Geriatr Med
January 2025
School of Health Sciences, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan.
Purpose: This cross-sectional study aimed to clarify the relationship between dysphagia and social isolation among community-dwelling older people.
Methods: The study participants were 238 community-dwelling older people (168 women; mean age, 74.0 ± 5.
Harmonious ageing: a narrative review of music therapy in the biomedical literature.
Eur Geriatr Med
January 2025
School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
Purpose: As the global population of older adults rises, the United Nations Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030) advocates for disease prevention, management, and enhancing overall wellbeing in older adults. We reviewed the MEDLINE literature under the MeSH term "music therapy" (MT), for its role in promoting healthy ageing.
Methods: A systematic search of the MEDLINE biomedical database (Ovid) was conducted using "MT" and "Ageing" as keywords, retrieving relevant full-text studies in English.
Functional fitness and psychological well-being in older adults.
BMC Geriatr
January 2025
Institute of Health Promotion and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Education and Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Bogdánfy St. 12, Budapest, H-1117, Hungary.
Background: Physical fitness and functioning are related to better mental health in older age. However, which fitness components (body composition, strength, flexibility, coordination, and endurance) are more closely related to psychological well-being (PWB) is unclear.
Methods: This research examined how body mass index (BMI) and six indices of functional fitness (i.
Negotiating a physically active life in tune with ageing: a grounded theory study of older persons' experiences of participating in high-intensity interval training.
BMC Geriatr
January 2025
Community Medicine and Rehabilitation, Physiotherapy, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
Background: Physical activity and exercise are promoted worldwide as effective interventions for healthy ageing. Various exercise initiatives have been developed and evaluated for their efficacy and effectiveness among older populations. However, a deeper understanding of participants' experiences with these initiatives is crucial to foster long-term activity and exercise among older persons.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnderstanding how users of home-based aged care services with cognitive impairment rate their social care related quality of life.
BMC Geriatr
January 2025
Deputy Director of the Health and Social Care Workforce Research Unit (HSCWRU), The Policy Institute, King's College London, 22 Kings Way, London, WC2B 6LE, England.
Background: Over the past decades, self-directed models of care have been implemented throughout the world to support older people, including those with dementia, to live at home. However, there is limited information about how self-directed home care is experienced by older people with cognitive impairment and dementia, and how their thinking informs their care choices and quality of life.
Methods: We used the ASCOT-Easy Read, a staggered reveal method, talk aloud techniques, probing questions, and physical assistance to support users of self-directed home care in Australia with cognitive impairment and dementia to discuss their Social Care Related Quality of Life (SCRQoL).
Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!