Depression and previous alcoholism in the elderly

Article Abstract:

There has been little research into depression in individuals with a past history of alcoholism. The majority of studies that have looked at rates of depression in alcoholics suggest a co-occurrence of 30 to 60 percent, but the subjects of such studies have been active alcoholics, who have responded poorly to tricyclic antidepressant drugs. To assess the relevance of a history of alcoholism (no current use) in elderly persons who are depressed, a study was conducted using 58 males hospitalized for depression. Mean age of those with a history of alcoholism (16 patients) was 57.7 years, while that of those without a history (42 patients) was 62.5 years. Subjects were interviewed and their clinical records were reviewed; three to five years later the subjects were interviewed regarding their incidence of illness during the period since discharge. The results suggest that males with a history of alcoholism tend to suffer from depression that is exogenous in nature (i.e., a reaction to a stressor as opposed to strictly a biochemical change). Treatment of such depression is less aggressive. However, the pattern of recurrence tends to be more chronic among these individuals than among those with more severe depressions but without an alcoholic background. Despite the tendency toward chronic depressive symptoms, there was only a small reversion back to drinking behavior during the study period. Several possible interpretations of the data are suggested, but it is important to note that this is an isolated sample with many variables unaccounted for. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Complications and side effects, Alcoholism, Alcoholic myopathy

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Prognosis of depression in the elderly

Article Abstract:

Despite a lack of evidence to support the view, it is widely accepted that the elderly are prone to depression and that their outcome, relative to younger depressives, is generally poor. The present study compared the outcomes at one-year of two groups of patients with depression. One group was made up of 56 patients aged 65 years and older; the second group consisted of 24 patients under age 65. All were admitted to the hospital during the same period for inpatient treatment for depression, and follow-up was done one year after discharge. Mental, physical, and social status were assessed, and four outcome categories were used at follow-up: well; relapsed; continuously ill; or dead. At follow-up, the elderly group was most likely to be well (68 percent) or to have died (16 percent) than the younger group (50 percent and 8 percent, respectively). Overall, poor outcome was found in 41 percent of the younger group and in 16 percent of those in the elderly group. Members of both groups seemed to be equally affected by factors influencing outcome, such as previous medical history and whether or not the patient was symptom-free at discharge. These findings suggest that the elderly may have an excellent outcome of depression and that the outcome for younger patients may not be as good. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

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The depressed elderly living in the community: a follow-up study

Article Abstract:

In 1982, a community survey of 150 people randomly selected from about 11,000 elderly residents of a poor section of Cape Town, South Africa identified 23 people who could be categorized as depressed. The subjects were all poorly educated and of low socioeconomic status. Twenty of the 23 were available for follow-up three and a half years later; nine were still clinically depressed and two were psychotic. Of the nine, five had been depressed on and off, while two had been continually depressed. Under a third of those originally considered depressed remained so for less than a year, suggesting that a large percentage of the depressed elderly in this community had long-term symptoms. One distressing observation in the follow-up was that none of the six depressed patients who were seen at a community outpatient clinic were receiving antidepressant treatment. It may be that depression went unrecognized by clinicians. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Diagnosis, South Africa

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