Chronic stress and depressive disorders in older adults

Article Abstract:

Chronic life stresses may result from a psychiatric disorder within the individual, or may be a consequence of a situation over which the individual has no control. To assess the repercussions of the latter scenario, the spouses of patients with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder who function as caregivers were evaluated. Alzheimer's disease is condition of progressive dementia that is unpredictable in course and rapidity of deterioration; the prognosis is always poor, and the only known outcome is death. It was hypothesized that these caregivers would be at increased risk for depressive disorders given their stressful circumstances, and that the caregiver with a history of depressive disorder would be especially vulnerable compared with those without a personal or family history of mental disorders. Eighty-six older persons caring for a spouse with progressive dementia were compared with the same number of controls matched on sociodemographic factors. Neither the frequency of prior depressive disorders nor the family history of psychiatric disorders differed between the two groups. In the experimental group, only two individuals met the criteria for depressive disorder prior to the commencement of the caregiving situation. However, over the course of the caregiving years, 30 percent of the experimental group developed a major depression, a mild depression, or another unspecified form of a depressive disorder. Only 1 percent of the control group suffered from a depressive disorder over this time period. It was surmised that the chronic strain imposed by caregiving may be associated with the onset of depressive disorders in older adults with no known predisposition to psychiatric disorders. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Causes of

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Fantasy proneness, DSM-III-R Axis I Psychopathology, and dissociation

Article Abstract:

Fantasy-prone individuals are at higher risk for serious mental disorders. This was gleaned from a comparison of high fantasy-prone (FP) subjects with medium FP subjects, where 67% of high FP subjects met criteria set by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Axis I diagnosis, compared to only 31% of medium FP subjects. Results also revealed that 50% of fantasizers have already experienced major depression and dissociation events.

Standards, Depression (Mood disorder), Mental illness, Mental disorders, Dissociation (Psychology), Dissociative disorders, Fantasy, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Book)

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Psychiatric disorders in spouse caregivers of care recipients with Alzheimer's disease and matched controls: a diathesis-stress model of psychopathology

Article Abstract:

Analysis of psychiatric disorders in spouse caregivers of patients with matched controls and Alzheimer's disease (AD) substantiates the diathesis-stress model of psychopathology. The chances of a relapse is higher for caregivers with a psychiatric history. The possibility of such caregivers to receive diagnosis after the onset of AD or matched controls is greater than that for caregivers with no psychiatric history.

Care and treatment

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