Skip to main content

Heterogeneity in the three-year course of major depression among older adults.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Hybels, CF; Pieper, CF; Blazer, DG; Steffens, DC
Published in: Int J Geriatr Psychiatry
July 2016

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this research was to identify distinct trajectories of recovery in older depressed patients in order to identify optimal samples and points for interventions. METHODS: The sample was 368 patients ages 60 years and older diagnosed with major depression and enrolled in a naturalistic treatment study and followed for up to 3 years. RESULTS: A model with four trajectory classes fit the data best: a quick recovery class (43%), a persistent moderate symptom class (27%), a persistent high symptom class (15%), and a slow recovery class (15%). Compared with patients in the quick recovery class, patients in the persistent moderate symptom class had more instrumental activities of daily living/mobility limitations and lower levels of subjective social support. Patients in the persistent high symptom class had higher levels of perceived stress and lower levels of social support compared with those with a quick recovery. Patients in the slow recovery class had a younger age of onset compared with those in the quick recovery group. In multinomial logistic regression, levels of perceived stress and social support at baseline significantly differed across classes controlling for demographic and health variables. CONCLUSIONS: Older patients diagnosed with major depression can have varying patterns of response to treatment. Interventions targeting those patients with higher levels of perceived stress and lower levels of subjective social support at the time of the index episode may lead to more favorable long-term trajectories. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Duke Scholars

Altmetric Attention Stats
Dimensions Citation Stats

Published In

Int J Geriatr Psychiatry

DOI

EISSN

1099-1166

Publication Date

July 2016

Volume

31

Issue

7

Start / End Page

775 / 782

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Stress, Psychological
  • Social Support
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Logistic Models
  • Humans
  • Geriatrics
  • Female
  • Disease Progression
  • Depressive Disorder, Major
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Hybels, C. F., Pieper, C. F., Blazer, D. G., & Steffens, D. C. (2016). Heterogeneity in the three-year course of major depression among older adults. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry, 31(7), 775–782. https://doi.org/10.1002/gps.4391
Hybels, Celia F., Carl F. Pieper, Dan G. Blazer, and David C. Steffens. “Heterogeneity in the three-year course of major depression among older adults.Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 31, no. 7 (July 2016): 775–82. https://doi.org/10.1002/gps.4391.
Hybels CF, Pieper CF, Blazer DG, Steffens DC. Heterogeneity in the three-year course of major depression among older adults. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2016 Jul;31(7):775–82.
Hybels, Celia F., et al. “Heterogeneity in the three-year course of major depression among older adults.Int J Geriatr Psychiatry, vol. 31, no. 7, July 2016, pp. 775–82. Pubmed, doi:10.1002/gps.4391.
Hybels CF, Pieper CF, Blazer DG, Steffens DC. Heterogeneity in the three-year course of major depression among older adults. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2016 Jul;31(7):775–782.

Published In

Int J Geriatr Psychiatry

DOI

EISSN

1099-1166

Publication Date

July 2016

Volume

31

Issue

7

Start / End Page

775 / 782

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Stress, Psychological
  • Social Support
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Logistic Models
  • Humans
  • Geriatrics
  • Female
  • Disease Progression
  • Depressive Disorder, Major