title: Prevalence and correlates of depressive symptoms in a catchment-area based cohort of older community-living schizophrenia patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Depressive symptoms frequently accompany schizophrenia. Older patients constitute the fastest growing segment of the schizophrenia population. With regard to the risk factors associated with depression, it is uncertain to which extent older schizophrenia patients differ from their age peers in the community.
  
  
  METHODS
  We assessed self-reported depressive symptoms in an epidemiological sample of older Dutch community-living patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (N=99; mean age 67years). Demographic, clinical and social variables were evaluated for their predictive value on the level of depressive symptoms. A comparison group, proportionally matched for age and gender, was recruited from a community study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the schizophrenia group, 47.5% reported depressive symptoms at a level indicating clinically relevant depression, in contrast to 12.1% in their age peers (odds ratio 6.55; 95% CI, 3.19-13.48; p<0.001). This difference could not be explained by differential exposure to the evaluated general risk factors. In both groups, functional limitations were the strongest predictor of depressive symptoms. In the patient group, chronic physical disorders and lack of a confidant were predictors, while a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder (vs. schizophrenia) was the only disorder-related risk factor that contributed to depressive symptoms, with marginal significance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The high rate of depressive symptoms in this epidemiological sample of older schizophrenia patients confirms that these symptoms frequently accompany this severe mental illness in late life. With physical and social factors as important predictors of depressive symptoms, risk factors for depression are more comparable between older schizophrenia patients and their age peers than is often assumed.
authors.affiliation: GGZ inGeest, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: p.meesters@ggzingeest.nl.
authors.forename: Paul D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Meesters
authors.affiliation: GGZ inGeest, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Hannie C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Comijs
authors.affiliation: GGZ inGeest, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Caroline M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Sonnenberg
authors.affiliation: GGZ inGeest, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Adriaan W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Hoogendoorn
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Lieuwe
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: de Haan
authors.affiliation: GGZ inGeest, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Piet
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Eikelenboom
authors.affiliation: GGZ inGeest, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Aartjan T F
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Beekman
authors.affiliation: GGZ inGeest, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Max L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Stek
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D057566:Self Report