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Mental disorders among the community-dwelling elderly in Dublin

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 January 2018

Michael Kirby ,
Irene Bruce ,
Alicja Radic ,
Davis Coakley  and
Brian A. Lawlor
Michael Kirby*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry for the Elderly and Mercer's Institute for Research on Ageing, St James's Hospital
Irene Bruce
Affiliation:
Mercer's Institute for Research on Ageing, St James's Hospital
Alicja Radic
Affiliation:
Health Research Board, 73 Lower Baggot St, Dublin 2, Ireland
Davis Coakley
Affiliation:
Mercer's Institute for Research on Ageing, St James's Hospital
Brian A. Lawlor
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry for the Elderly and Mercer's Institute for Research on Ageing, St James's Hospital
*
Dr Michael Kirby. Mercer's Institute for Research on Ageing. St James's Hospital, Dublin 8. Ireland
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Abstract

Background

The prevalence of mental disorders among the community-dwelling elderly in the catchment area of a psychiatry for the elderly service in Dublin was determined.

Method

A sample of 1232 individuals aged 65 years and over, identified from general practitioner practice lists, was interviewed using the Geriatric Mental State–AGECAT package.

Results

Depression and organic disorder occurred with prevalences of 10.3 and 4.1%, respectively. Depression diagnostic cases had comorbid anxiety at case level in 17.3% and at sub-case level in a further 59.9%. Organic diagnostic cases had comorbid depressive or anxiety symptoms, at case or sub-case level, in 32%

Conclusions

Depression is the most common mental disorder among the elderly in Dublin. The frequency of anxiety symptoms in the presentation of depression may be a factor in the under-diagnosis or misdiagnosis of depression in the community-dwelling elderly. Comorbid anxiety and depression in organic disorder may represent treatable symptoms.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 171 , Issue 4 , October 1997 , pp. 369 - 372
Copyright
Copyright © 1997 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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