The Association of Late-Life Depression and Anxiety With Physical Disability: A Review of the Literature and Prospectus for Future Research

Abstract

Depression and anxiety disorders are associated with excess disability. The authors searched the recent geriatric literature for studies associating late-life depression or anxiety with physical disability. Studies showed depression in old age to be an independent risk factor for disability; similarly, disability was found to be a risk factor for depression. Anxiety in late life was also found to be a risk factor for disability, although not necessarily independently of depression. Increased disability due to depression is only partly explained by differences in socioeconomic measures, medical conditions, and cognition. Physical disability improves with treatment for depression; comparable studies have not been done for anxiety. The authors discuss how these findings inform current concepts of physical disability and discuss the implications for future intervention studies of late-life depression and anxiety disorders.

Socio-demographic and health-related factors affecting depression of the Greek population in later life: an analysis using SHARE data

“…Chronic conditions, disability and cognitive decline are very significant determinants of depression among the older old (Lenze et al 2001;Braam et al 2005). Our findings provide firm support for this hypothesis; effects of these predictors remain measurable and very strong in spite of the socio-demographic confounders included in the models.…”

“…Poor physical health is an important risk factor precipitating poor mental health among older persons (Lenze et al 2001;Yang and George 2005). Braam et al (2005) using data from 14 research groups in 11 European countries (EURODEP consortium) found that suffering from chronic illnesses and functional disabilities was related to higher chances of suffering from depression, even after controlling for age, sex, marital status and education.…”

Children’s impact on the mental health of their older mothers and fathers: findings from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe

“…Depression is not an isolated illness but also occurs along with other health problems, in particular with physical illness . Poor physical health is an important risk factor for depression in later life (Lenze et al 2001;Braam et al 2005).…”

Evidence-Based Pharmacologic Interventions for Geriatric Depression

“…Depression severity is a predictor of variance in instrumental activities of daily living [10]. The mechanisms linking depression and disability are still unclear, but it appears that the depressed state itself can be disabling, and depression increases the disability caused by chronic medical conditions [11]. Bruce and colleagues [12] have described a mutually reinforcing, downward-spiraling relationship between depression and disability.…”