title: Life events, life difficulties and confiding relationships in the depressed elderly.
abstract: A total of 101 elderly depressed patients and 85 community residents (matched for age and sex) were interviewed about life events, difficulties, and confiding relationships. Significantly more of the depressed sample reported at least one severe event in the three months before the onset of their illness. Lack of a good confiding relationship was associated with depression in men but not in women. In this relatively affluent Australian sample, life difficulties were rare and, probably as a result, were not significantly associated with depression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Science, University of Western Australia.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Emmerson
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Burvill
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Finlay-Jones
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hall
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010556:Personality Tests; D012931:Social Environment; D012944:Social Support