title: Evaluation of the Relationship between Major Depressive Disorder and Bereavement Symptoms in Elderly Patients Who Present Either to Psychiatry or Family Medicine.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We aimed to determine the level of bereavement and depression symptoms among elderly patients who experience the loss of a significant other and the relationship between depressive symptoms and bereavement symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study sample consisted of elderly adults who lost a significant other at least 6 months prior to the submission time. Participants were recruited from patients who presented to either the psychiatry or family medicine outpatient unit of a Training and Research Hospital. Cognitive functions were assessed using Standardized Mini Mental Examinations for Educated and Uneducated People (SMME/SMME-U). Participants were excluded from the study if their SMME or SMME-U scores were lower than 23 points. To assess the severity of depressive and bereavement symptoms, the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and Core Bereavement Items (CBI) scales were used, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 33 out of 67 individuals (49.2%) who presented to the psychiatry unit and 7 out of the 43 individuals (16.3%) who presented to the family medicine unit were diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD). CBI scale score means were higher in the MDD groups than in the non-depressive groups (p=0.012 and p=0.001, respectively). CBI scores were significantly correlated to acute (p=0.047) and chronic stress (p=0.007) in the psychiatry group and to chronic stress in the family medicine group (p=0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Probing loss experiences and reactions to them can be important to understand depression, to evaluate its symptoms, and to help manage the relevant symptoms. Considering the significant contributions of bereavement to depressive symptom severity in elders, interventions specific to bereavement symptoms should not be ignored.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Psychiatry, Şevket Yılmaz Training and Research Hospital, Bursa, Turkey.
authors.forename: İbrahim
authors.initials: İ
authors.lastname: Taymur
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Psychiatry, Dışkapı Yıldırım Beyazıt Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Kadir
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Özdel
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Family Practice, Dışkapı Yıldırım Beyazıt Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Cenk
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aypak
authors.affiliation: Ankara University Scholl of Health Sciences, Social Service Specialist, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Veli
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Duyan
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Family Practice, Dışkapı Yıldırım Beyazıt Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Özlem
authors.initials: Ö
authors.lastname: Türedi
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Psychiatry, Şevket Yılmaz Training and Research Hospital, Bursa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Buket Belkız
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Güngör
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Selçuk University School of Medicine, Konya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yavuz
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Selvi
keywords: Elderly; bereavement; cognitive function; depression; psychiatry