Comparative study on depression symptoms in hospitalized, day-care and in-home elderly

Abstract

Depression in elderly and its consequences have been attracting scientific and clinical attention as the world population is getting older. In order to investigate depressive symptoms, we interviewed a sample of 30 elderly people, over 60 years old, in hospitals, asylums and in the community. They were evaluated by the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D). The elderly people living in asylums showed the highest scores of HAM-D, demonstrating severe depressive symptoms. The smallest rate of depressive symptoms was found in those people who lived in the community. The women presented a greater amount of severe depressive symptoms. Results show the importance of depression as a frequent mental disease in elderly people, which requires adequate diagnosis and treatment