title: Methodology of China's national study on the evaluation, early recognition, and treatment of psychological problems in the elderly: the China Longitudinal Aging Study (CLAS).
abstract: Cognitive and depressive disorders are common in elderly Chinese and are becoming an increasingly important public health problem, partly because of the rapid aging of the population. To help address this issue China's national government has funded a major study to establish national standards for the early identification, evaluation and treatment of common psychological disorders in the elderly. The present paper describes the overall methodology of this study. Fifteen centers in eight provinces will recruit representative samples of subjects aged 60 and over, collect a detailed history, conduct a physical and neurological examination, administer a comprehensive battery of psychological tests, and carry out a diagnostic exam using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID). These subjects will participate in follow-up evaluations one year and three years after the initial evaluation. Subsamples of subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and subclinical depression will be enrolled in randomized controlled trials of a cognitive training program (for MCI) or group cognitive behavioral therapy (for subclinical depression). The results of the study will be used to estimate the prevalence of cognitive and affective disorders in the elderly, to develop a standard screening procedure for these conditions that can be promulgated nationally, and to promote the use of specific interventions that can prevent the development of dementia in persons with MCI and the development of depressive episodes in elderly individuals with subclinical depression.
authors.affiliation: Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Center, Department of Geriatric Psychiatry, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Shifu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Guangzhou Brain Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.
authors.forename: Muni
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bao
authors.affiliation: Institute of Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Huali
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Yuping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: The First Affiliated Hospital of the China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: The Fist Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shaanxi Province, China.
authors.forename: Yaping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: The Fist Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China.
authors.forename: Yefeng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: The Third People's Hospital of Jian City, Jian, Jiangxi Province, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoyun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zuo
authors.affiliation: Ankang Hospital of Ningbo City, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China.
authors.forename: Zhongming
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: The Fourth People's Hospital of Hefei City, Hefei, Anhui Province, China.
authors.forename: Xulai
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Lijuan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Center, Department of Geriatric Psychiatry, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Center, Department of Geriatric Psychiatry, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Tongji Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Wenyuan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Center, Department of Geriatric Psychiatry, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Mingyuan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang