title: Prevalence of depression among recently admitted long-term care patients in Norwegian nursing homes: associations with diagnostic workup and use of antidepressants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to establish the prevalence of depression among recently admitted long-term care patients and to examine associations with diagnostic initiatives and treatment as recorded in patients' medical records.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-eight long-term care patients were included. Depression was diagnosed according to the ICD-10 criteria; patients were screened for depression using the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD) and for dementia with the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Depression was found in 25% of the patients according to the ICD-10 criteria and in 31% according to a CSDD sum score of ≥ 8. Diagnostic initiatives were documented in the medical records of half of the patients with depression. Forty-four percent of the patients were prescribed antidepressants and 23% actually received them for the treatment of depression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Depression was prevalent among recently admitted long-term care patients, but diagnostic initiatives were too rarely used. Antidepressants were commonly prescribed, but depression was the indication for treatment in only half of the cases. Screening for depression should be mandatory on admission.
authors.affiliation: Research Unit for General Practice, Uni Health/Uni Research, Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: Kristina Riis
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Iden
authors.forename: Knut
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Engedal
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hjorleifsson
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ruths
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents