Journal
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY
Volume 56, Issue 11, Pages 2033-2038Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2008.01956.x
Keywords
depression; physical disorders; disability; elderly; Nigerians
Categories
Funding
- Wellcome Trust
Ask authors/readers for more resources
To compare the effects of depression and chronic physical conditions on disability in elderly persons. Yoruba-speaking areas of Nigeria. Interviews. Community-dwelling persons aged 65 and older. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with a representative sample of community-dwelling persons aged 65 and older (N=2,152) in the Yoruba-speaking areas of Nigeria (representing similar to 22% of the national population). Major depressive disorder (MDD) was assessed using the World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Chronic pain and medical disorders were assessed using self-report. Disorder-specific disability was evaluated using the Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS). MDD was highly comorbid with each of the medical conditions (odds ratio range 1.3-2.0). A higher proportion of persons with MDD (47.2%) were rated severely disabled globally than those with arthritis (20.6%), chronic spinal pain (24.2%), or high blood pressure (25.0%). Subjects with MDD were also more likely to be severely disabled in three of the four domains of the SDS. In pair-wise comparisons, persons with MDD had significantly higher levels of disability than those with any of the disorders, with differences in mean scores ranging between -3.74 and -27.50. To reduce the public health burden of depression, its prevention and treatment require more clinical and research attention than currently given by developing countries.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available