Dementia & Neuropsychologia ()

Prevalence of depressive symptoms among elderly in the city of Tremembé, Brazil: Preliminary findings of an epidemiological study

  • Karolina G. César,
  • Leonel T. Takada,
  • Sonia M.D. Brucki,
  • Ricardo Nitrini,
  • Luiz Fernando C. Nascimento,
  • Maira O. Oliveira,
  • Camila M.S. Gomes,
  • Milena C.S. Almeida,
  • Fábio H. Porto,
  • Mirna L.H. Senaha,
  • Valéria S. Bahia,
  • Mônica S. Yassuda,
  • Thaís B.L. Silva,
  • Jéssica N. Ianof,
  • Lívia Spíndola,
  • Magali T. Schmidt,
  • Mário S. Jorge,
  • Patrícia H.F. Vale,
  • Mário A. Cecchini,
  • Luciana Cassimiro,
  • Roger T. Soares,
  • Márcia Rúbia Gonçalves,
  • Ana Caroline S. Martins,
  • Elisângela Rocha,
  • Patrícia Daré

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1590/S1980-57642013DN70300004
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 7, no. 3
pp. 252 – 257

Abstract

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ABSTRACT Depression is a heterogeneous mental disease classified as a set of disorders, which manifest with a certain duration, frequency and intensity. The prevalence of depression in the elderly ranges from 0.5 to 16%. Objective To establish, in an epidemiological study, the prevalence of significant depressive symptoms in the population aged 60 years or older. Methods: Results of a cross-sectional epidemiological study, involving home visits, being carried out in the city of Tremembé, Brazil, were reported. The sample was randomly selected by drawing 20% of the population over 60 years from each of the city's census sectors. In this single-phase study, the assessment included clinical history, physical and neurological examination, cognitive evaluation, the Cornell scale and the Patient Health Questionnaire for psychiatric symptoms. Scores greater than or equal to 8 on the Cornell scale were taken to indicate the presence of depressive symptoms. Results: A total of 455 elders were assessed, and of these 169 (37.1%) had clinically significant depressive symptoms (CSDS). Depression prevalence was higher among women (p<0.001) and individuals with lower education (p=0.033). The Chi-square test for trends showed a significant relationship where lower socioeconomic status was associated with greater likelihood of depressive symptoms (p=0.005). Conclusion: The prevalence of depressive symptoms was high in this sample of the population-based study and was associated with female gender, low educational level and socioeconomic status. The assessment of the entire population sample must be completed.

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