title: Personality disorder symptoms predict declines in global functioning and quality of life in elderly depressed patients.
abstract: The authors evaluated personality disorder symptoms as predictors of change in global functioning and quality of life among elderly depressed patients. Treated elderly patients (N=40) who no longer met RDC criteria for major depression were assessed for personality disorders, depression, global functioning, and quality of life after treatment of the acute episode and at 1-year follow-up. In interaction with persisting or recurrent depression, Cluster B personality disorder symptoms contributed to declines in global functioning and quality of life over a 1-year period. Personality disorder symptoms in elderly patients appear to operate as co-factors that amplify or exacerbate the impact of residual depression on long-term functioning and quality of life.
authors.affiliation: New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY, USA. rabrams@med.cornell.edu
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Abrams
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Alexopoulos
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Spielman
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Klausner
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kakuma
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016018:Least-Squares Analysis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life; D016896:Treatment Outcome