Older adults are less accurate than younger adults at identifying symptoms of anxiety and depression.
The present study examined age differences in the identification of anxiety and depressive symptoms in a community sample of 374 adults, ages 18 to 93. Older adults were less accurate and more likely than younger adults to label symptoms as neither anxiety nor depression. Both older and younger adults were more accurate in their classification of depressive than anxiety symptoms. These findings suggest that additional efforts are needed to educate the general public, particularly older adults, about anxiety and its symptoms.
Wetherell
Julie Loebach
JL
Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093-9111, USA. jwetherell@ucsd.edu
Petkus
Andrew J
AJ
McChesney
Kathleen
K
Stein
Murray B
MB
Judd
Patricia H
PH
Rockwell
Enid
E
Sewell
Daniel D
DD
Patterson
Thomas L
TL
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged / Q000523:psychology*; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
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