Disentangling the complex relation of disability and depressive symptoms in old age - findings of a multicenter prospective cohort study in Germany

TY - JOUR

T1 - Disentangling the complex relation of disability and depressive symptoms in old age - findings of a multicenter prospective cohort study in Germany

AU - Hajek, André

AU - Brettschneider, Christian

AU - Eisele, Marion

AU - Lühmann, Dagmar

AU - Mamone, Silke

AU - Wiese, Birgitt

AU - Weyerer, Siegfried

AU - Werle, Jochen

AU - Fuchs, Angela

AU - Pentzek, Michael

AU - Stein, Janine

AU - Luck, Tobias

AU - Bickel, Horst

AU - Mösch, Edelgard

AU - Heser, Kathrin

AU - Wagner, Michael

AU - Maier, Wolfgang

AU - Scherer, Martin

AU - Riedel-Heller, Steffi G

AU - König, Hans-Helmut

PY - 2017/6

Y1 - 2017/6

N2 - BACKGROUND: Most of the previous studies attempted to disentangle the relationship between disability and depressive symptoms were limited to observation periods of only few years. Moreover, evidence is missing regarding the complex co-occurrence of disability and depressive symptoms in old age in Germany. In order to close the research gap, we aimed at disentangling the complex co-occurrence of disability and depressive symptoms in old age in Germany over a longer time frame.METHODS: Based on data from a representative survey of the German general population aged 75 years and older, the course of disability as well as depressive symptoms was observed every 1.5 years over six waves. While disability was quantified by the Lawton and Brody Instrumental Activities of Daily Living scale, the Geriatric Depression Scale was used to measure depressive symptoms. Taking into account the complex co-occurrence of depressive symptoms and disability, a panel vector autoregressive model was used. By taking the first differences, unobserved heterogeneity was taken into account.RESULTS: In the total sample and in both sexes, we revealed a robust positive association between an initial change in depressive symptoms and subsequent changes in disability. No robust association between an initial change in disability and a subsequent change in depressive symptoms was detected.CONCLUSION: Our findings highlight the importance of changes in depressive symptoms for future changes in disability in old age.

AB - BACKGROUND: Most of the previous studies attempted to disentangle the relationship between disability and depressive symptoms were limited to observation periods of only few years. Moreover, evidence is missing regarding the complex co-occurrence of disability and depressive symptoms in old age in Germany. In order to close the research gap, we aimed at disentangling the complex co-occurrence of disability and depressive symptoms in old age in Germany over a longer time frame.METHODS: Based on data from a representative survey of the German general population aged 75 years and older, the course of disability as well as depressive symptoms was observed every 1.5 years over six waves. While disability was quantified by the Lawton and Brody Instrumental Activities of Daily Living scale, the Geriatric Depression Scale was used to measure depressive symptoms. Taking into account the complex co-occurrence of depressive symptoms and disability, a panel vector autoregressive model was used. By taking the first differences, unobserved heterogeneity was taken into account.RESULTS: In the total sample and in both sexes, we revealed a robust positive association between an initial change in depressive symptoms and subsequent changes in disability. No robust association between an initial change in disability and a subsequent change in depressive symptoms was detected.CONCLUSION: Our findings highlight the importance of changes in depressive symptoms for future changes in disability in old age.

U2 - 10.1017/S1041610216002507

DO - 10.1017/S1041610216002507

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

C2 - 28132664

VL - 29

SP - 885

EP - 895

JO - INT PSYCHOGERIATR

JF - INT PSYCHOGERIATR

SN - 1041-6102

IS - 6

ER -