Depression in Nursing Homes: Prevalence, Recognition, and Treatment

• DOI: 10.2190/pm.39.4.a
• Publication Date: 2010-02-06T10:00:19Z
• Authors: Dietmar Kramer; Antje-Kathrin All...; Sabina Fejtkova; Roland Mergl; Ulrich Hegerl
• Keywords: Depression; Medical record; Guideline

Objective: Depression is very common in people above 65 years living long-term care. However, little known about how well depression recognized and adequately it treated. Therefore, the present study aimed at assessing accuracy of unaided clinical diagnosis attending physicians, medical treatment situation nursing home residents. Methods: A random sample 97 residents 10 homes Munich was examined with Section “Affective Syndrome” Structured Clinical Interview (SCID) for DSM-IV to detect depression. Information concerning medication obtained from subjects' records. Results: 14.4% suffered acutely major depression, minor 18.6% were diagnosed as depressive according physician In total, 27.8% received antidepressants. Merely 42.9% subjects acute by their physicians depressive, only half them an antidepressant; 17.5% antidepressants without a accordance guidelines, 73.3% prescribed SSRIs or newer Only 20.0% tricyclic Conclusions: Findings show that relatively frequent homes. Moreover, insufficiently even more seldom Also, significant proportion receive documented associated indication. recognition guideline-based should be improved this high-risk group.