title: Physicians' detection of late-life depression: the roles of dysphoria and cognitive impairment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine factors that impede or facilitate physicians' detection of depression in later life, including cognitive impairment and patients' endorsement of dysphoria.
  
  
  METHODS
  A population-based sample of 344 adults from the Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging (SATSA) was utilized. Physician detection of depression was determined by (1) outpatient medical records, (2) antidepressant prescription, and/or (3) inpatient hospitalization. Depressive symptoms were measured by highest score on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies - Depression Scale (CES-D), administered on six occasions between 1986 and 1994. Endorsement of dysphoria was examined using two items on the CES-D. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was used to indicate cognitive impairment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One-hundred thirty-six individuals were above the cut-off on the CES-D on at least one occasion; however, only 14 of these individuals (10%) were detected as depressed by a physician. Higher CES-D total score was significantly related to physician detection. Furthermore, physicians were most likely to detect depression if the individual endorsed the single CES-D item regarding feeling depressed. A significant interaction was found, such that overall CES-D score was only associated with physician detection among those with higher endorsement of the depressed item. The association between total CES-D and physician detection was not affected by presence of cognitive impairment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Depression in later life often goes undetected by physicians. Factors associated with detection include the frequency/severity of symptoms and patients' endorsement specifically of feeling depressed. Results suggest that physicians should routinely assess for other symptoms associated with late-life depression besides dysphoria (e.g., appetite loss, crying spells).
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology, West Virginia University , Morgantown , West Virginia, USA.
authors.forename: Jeffrey J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Gregg
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fiske
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gatz
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010820:Physicians / Q000592:standards*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013548:Sweden