The prevalence of psychotic symptoms and paranoid ideation in non-demented population samples aged 70-82 years.
OBJECTIVE
Recent population(Q3) studies have reported an approximate 10% prevalence of psychotic symptoms among elderly aged 85 years and older. Psychotic symptoms may be less prevalent among younger elderly. We examined the prevalence of psychotic symptoms in a population-based sample of non-demented elderly aged 70-82 years.


METHODS
A systematic Swedish population sample of 894 non-demented elderly (response rate 68%) representing three birth cohorts (340 women and 224 men aged 70 years and 330 women aged 78 and 82 years) was examined using the Comprehensive Psychopathological Rating Scale (CPRS), during a semi-structured psychiatric interview. A key informant interview was also conducted. Psychotic symptoms were classified according to the DSM-IV Glossary of technical terms.


RESULTS
The 1-year prevalence of any psychotic symptom was 0.9% among non-demented women and men aged 70 years, and 1.2% among women aged 78 and 82 years. Psychotic symptoms were not related to sex or age. The prevalence of paranoid ideation was 1.0%. Among women, any paranoid symptom (persecutory delusions or paranoid ideation) was more common in 70-year-olds (2.6%) than in 78-82-year-olds (0.6%) (p = 0.04).


CONCLUSIONS
Psychotic symptoms affected only 1% of this non-demented population aged 70, 78 and 82 years, which is lower than the 7-10% previously found among 85- and 95-year-olds. This might reflect a lower prevalence of psychotic symptoms compared to older elderly or secular changes resulting in lower prevalence of psychotic symptoms in later-born birth cohorts.
Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
Robert
R
Sigström
Ingmar
I
Skoog
Simona
S
Sacuiu
Björn
B
Karlsson
Isak Fredén
IF
Klenfeldt
Margda
M
Waern
Deborah
D
Gustafson
Svante
S
Ostling
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010259:Paranoid Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology