Prevalence of mental illness in a rehabilitation unit for older adults

Citation
Dc. Shah et al., Prevalence of mental illness in a rehabilitation unit for older adults, POSTG MED J, 76(893), 2000, pp. 153-156
Citations number
23
Language
INGLESE
art.tipo
Article
Categorie Soggetti
General & Internal Medicine
Journal title
POSTGRADUATE MEDICAL JOURNAL
ISSN journal
0032-5473 → ACNP
Volume
76
Issue
893
Year of publication
2000
Pages
153 - 156
Database
ISI
SICI code
0032-5473(200003)76:893<153:POMIIA>2.0.ZU;2-U
Abstract
The prevalence of psychiatric disorders was studied in 78 elderly people in a rehabilitation unit for older adults. The patients were assessed using t he Evans Liverpool depression rating scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale and Mini-Mental State Examination. Twenty-eight (35.9%) patients wer e found to be depressed, 15 of these also had raised anxiety. Thirty-one (4 1.0%) patients had significant cognitive impairment and 14 of these had ass ociated depression. Only 33 (42%) had no evidence of either cognitive impai rment or mood disorder. On discharge, 20 (25.6%) patients were on anti-depr essant treatment but only 50% of those had this diagnosis recorded on the d ischarge summary. Our results showed higher prevalence of depression in thi s situation compared with the reported prevalence of 20-30% in the acute ho spital setting. We recommend that all patients undergoing rehabilitation sh ould be routinely screened for depression as it is common and treatment wil l improve the overall outcome.