title: [Anxiety and depressive symptoms and exposition towards violence in the general older population (between 60 and 84 years) in Germany - results from a cross-sectional study].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Depression and anxiety are important public health challenges in the general older population in Germany. Exposition towards violence/abuse in old age has been widely neglected as a risk factor for anxiety and depression among the older population.
  
  
  METHODS
  The ABUEL study (“Abuse of the Elderly in Europe”) is a cross-sectional study of people between 60 and 84 years living in Stuttgart. Anxiety and depression are assessed with the “Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale” (HADS). We assessed 1) socio-demographic variables and 2) exposition towards violence in the past 12 months as independent variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results indicate that violence exposition in the past 12 months is a risk factor for anxiety (OR: 2.25, 95% CI: 1.32–3.84) and depression (OR: 2.27, 95% CI: 1.27–4.04) among the elderly population in Germany. Anxiety is associated with female gender (OR: 3.18, 95% CI: 1.62–6.25). Anxiety and depression are associated with times of unemployment in the life course.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggest that exposure to violence in old age should be assessed to allow targeted prevention and intervention programmes.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Public Health, Evangelische Hochschule Ludwigsburg, Ludwigsburg.
authors.forename: R-M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Csöff
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Medizinische Psychologie und Medizinische Soziologie, Universität Leipzig, Leipzig.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Brähler
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Public Health, Evangelische Hochschule Ludwigsburg, Ludwigsburg.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lindert
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D015984:Causality; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D004552:Elder Abuse / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution