Self-rated health, depression, and one-year health outcomes in older primary care patients.
OBJECTIVE
The authors tested the hypothesis that poorer self-rated health is associated with poorer health outcomes.


METHODS
They prospectively examined the association of self-rated health to 1-year outcomes in 247 older subjects from primary care settings.


RESULTS
Poorer self-rated health was independently associated with 1-year functional disability, after covarying initial clinical and functional measures, but was not independently associated with 1-year depression diagnosis. Results were mixed regarding associations with 1-year medical burden or mortality.


CONCLUSIONS
Clinicians should be vigilant for functional decline in patients who perceive their health negatively. Future research should test potential mechanisms that might underlie this association.
Lyness
Jeffrey M
JM
Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, 300 Crittenden Boulevard, Rochester, NY 14642, USA. Jeffrey_Lyness@urmc.rochester.edu
King
Deborah A
DA
Conwell
Yeates
Y
Duberstein
Paul R
PR
Eberly
Shirley
S
Sörensen
Silvia M
SM
Caine
Eric D
ED
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012647:Self-Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires