Personality disorder correlates of late and early onset depression.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the lifetime personality dysfunction of geriatric patients having late and early onset of major depression.


METHODS
Group comparisons.


METHODS
Inpatient geriatric psychiatry unit and hospital-based geriatric psychiatry outpatient clinic.


METHODS
Volunteer sample of recovered elderly depressives with history of early onset of major depression (age < 60) (n = 16) and history of late onset of major depression (age > 60) (n = 14). MAJOR OUTCOME MEASURE: Personality Disorder Examination, containing diagnostic and dimensional scores for DSM-III-R personality disorders.


RESULTS
The two groups had similar demographic profiles and levels of depression after treatment. Early onset subjects had significantly higher mean dimensional scores in the avoidant, dependent, and not otherwise specified NOS personality disorders, and higher dimensional scores with a trend toward significance in 6 additional personality disorders.


CONCLUSIONS
Early onset geriatric depressives may have more lifetime personality dysfunction than late onset subjects. Greater personality dysfunction in early onset subjects may reflect postdepressive changes, predisposition, or a low grade depressive subtype.
Cornell University Medical College, New York Hospital-Westchester Division, White Plains, New York 10605.
R C
RC
Abrams
E
E
Rosendahl
C
C
Card
G S
GS
Alexopoulos
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003071:Cognition; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006299:Health Services for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010552:Personality Assessment; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D012944:Social Support; D013997:Time Factors