title: Prevalence and risk factors of depression in geriatric patients with dermatological diseases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although rarely life threatening, dermatological diseases may have a considerable influence on a patient's quality of life and psychological well-being. As with morbidity and mental distress from other chronic diseases, a skin disorder can be the one of the main causes of depression in the geriatric population.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of depression in elderly patients with dermatological disease in Korea and to identify factors associated with depression.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients over the age of 60 years with dermatologic diseases were solicited for a questionnaire survey. The Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) was used to obtain a patient-based measurement of depression. Additionally, demographic information and medical history were collected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The questionnaire was completed by 313 patients (39.94% men, mean age 69.04 years, mean disease duration 3.23 years). Dermatological disease overall had a significant effect on patients' depression (χ(2)=177.13, p<0.0001), with a mean GDS score of 12.35 (out of 30). The patients who had a GDS score greater than 10 was 62.3% which indicated increased prevalence of mild to severe depression when compared to the general population among whom only 22.22% percent have GDS score greater than 10. In the univariate analysis, physical health, education level, and the presence of concurrent diseases were risk factors for geriatric depression. However, we did not find any demographic or disease related variables that were independent predictors of depression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Geriatric patients with dermatological disease experience an increase burden of depression. Thus, it is important for clinicians to evaluate geriatric patients with dermatologic diseases for depression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Eun Kyung
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hyung Ok
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young Min
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Chul Jong
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Dong Su
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Jun Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lee
keywords: Depression; Geriatric population; Skin disorder