title: [Treatment preferences of elderly patients with mental disorders].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Successful treatment in psychosomatic medicine requires intrinsic motivation of the patient and the belief that the chosen therapeutic option can help. Depression, somatization disorder and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) are frequent mental disorders in the elderly population. Finding a suitable and successful treatment for elderly people with mental disorders is often difficult. Undertreatment and the utilization of inappropriate healthcare services are frequent.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Treatment preferences of elderly patients with mental disorders were ascertained in order to evaluate the motivation for psychotherapy or other therapeutic measures.
  
  
  METHODS
  The data were derived from the 8-year follow-up of the epidemiological study on chances of prevention, early recognition and optimized therapy of chronic diseases in the elderly population (ESTHER), a population-based cohort study in Saarland, Germany. A total of 3124 patients aged 55-84 years were included in this analysis. The treatment preferences were documented using a questionnaire with 12 different answer categories. The occurrence of depression, somatization disorder and GAD was collated using the patient health questionnaire (PHQ-D).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Physiotherapy and inpatient rehabilitation were the most frequently named treatment preferences in all three subgroups of patients with mental disorders. Psychotherapy was the preferred treatment for 18.3 % of depressive patients, for 15.0 % of somatization patients and for 15.7 % of GAD patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mentally ill elderly patients in Germany preferred physical treatment techniques, such as physiotherapy and inpatient rehabilitation over psychotherapy. Discussion is needed over the reasons for these findings and the clinical implications.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Allgemeine Innere Medizin und Psychosomatik, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 410, 69120, Heidelberg, Deutschland. friederike.boehlen@med.uni-heidelberg.de.
authors.forename: F H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Boehlen
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Allgemeine Innere Medizin und Psychosomatik, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 410, 69120, Heidelberg, Deutschland.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Herzog
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Allgemeine Innere Medizin und Psychosomatik, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 410, 69120, Heidelberg, Deutschland.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Maatouk
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Klinische Epidemiologie und Alternsforschung, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Deutschland.
authors.forename: K-U
authors.initials: KU
authors.lastname: Saum
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Klinische Epidemiologie und Alternsforschung, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Deutschland.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Brenner
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Allgemeine Innere Medizin und Psychosomatik, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 410, 69120, Heidelberg, Deutschland.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wild
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D010358:Patient Participation / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D057240:Patient Preference / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012046:Rehabilitation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D057566:Self Report
keywords: Anxiety disorder; Depression; Motivation; Physiotherapy; Psychotherapy