LET ME BE A DEPRESSIVE CENTENARIAN

Depression in Centenarians Often Unrecognized

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Nov 24 - Although people over 100 years of age appear to be as prone to depression as younger individuals, only about a third of those affected are diagnosed, investigators reported today at the annual scientific meeting of the Gerontological Society of America in National Harbor, Maryland.

The findings come from the Georgia Centenarian Study, "the first population-based study of centenarians in the United States," lead researcher Dr. Adam Davey, a developmental psychologist from Temple University in Philadelphia, told Reuters Health.

"The overarching aim of this study is to understand what it is really like to be 100," the researcher added. "To get a realistic sense, we set out to identify all individuals who had reached 100 years of age in 44 counties of Northeast Georgia."

Based on responses on the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale Short form, 27% of the 244 participants had clinically significant depressive symptoms, but only 8.2% were currently diagnosed with depression. The majority of those affected (94%) had a history of depression.

These results are "hardly surprising," said Dr. Davey, given the high levels of cognitive and sensory impairment and disability, as well as loss of family and friends, that centenarians must deal with.

"On the other hand, these findings stand out from previous research," he added, noting that earlier estimates for older adults in the US have suggested "rates of clinically significant depressive symptoms from 8% to 16%, and rates of diagnosis of major depression ranging from 1% to 3%."

As yet, it is unclear whether or not centenarians with depression are less likely than younger people to be diagnosed.

"Depression is a highly treatable illness," Dr. Davey pointed out, "but it may not always make the top of the list of priorities for physicians working with exceptional survivors." Moreover, diagnosis may be more difficult because "older adults in general may be less likely to present with symptoms of depression."

More detailed understanding of the efficacy of various approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of depression among the oldest old is an important topic for future research.

Meanwhile, "physicians should be sensitive to the apparently high rates in this very special population," Dr. Davey concluded.