Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-tf8b9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-25T22:19:16.789Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of depression in an elderly population living with family members in Beijing, China

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 March 2008

X. Ma ,
Y.-T. Xiang ,
S.-R. Li ,
Y.-Q. Xiang ,
H.-L. Guo ,
Y.-Z. Hou ,
Z.-J. Cai ,
Z.-B. Li ,
Z.-J. Li  and
Y.-F. Tao
...Show all authors
X. Ma
Affiliation:
Beijing An Ding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
Y.-T. Xiang*
Affiliation:
Beijing An Ding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China Department of Psychiatry, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
S.-R. Li
Affiliation:
Institute of Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
Y.-Q. Xiang
Affiliation:
Beijing An Ding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
H.-L. Guo
Affiliation:
Beijing An Ding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
Y.-Z. Hou
Affiliation:
Beijing An Ding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
Z.-J. Cai
Affiliation:
Beijing An Ding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
Z.-B. Li
Affiliation:
Beijing An Ding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
Z.-J. Li
Affiliation:
Beijing An Ding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
Y.-F. Tao
Affiliation:
Beijing An Ding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
W.-M. Dang
Affiliation:
Institute of Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
X.-M. Wu
Affiliation:
Beijing An Ding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
J. Deng
Affiliation:
Beijing An Ding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
G. S. Ungvari
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
H. F. K. Chiu
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
*
*Address for correspondence: Dr Yu-Tao Xiang, Department of Psychiatry, Shatin Hospital, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China. (Email: [email protected])
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background

To date, there has been no large-scale survey of geriatric depression (GD) involving both rural and urban areas in China using standardized assessment tools and diagnostic criteria. This study aimed to determine the 12-month and lifetime prevalence rates of GD and sociodemographic correlates in urban and rural regions of Beijing, China.

Method

A total of 1601 elderly patients (aged ⩾60 years) were randomly selected and interviewed in Beijing using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI 1.0). Basic sociodemographic and clinical data were also collected during the interviews.

Results

The overall 12-month prevalence of GD was 4.33%, and the 12-month prevalence rates for men and women were 2.65% and 5.83% respectively. The overall lifetime prevalence of GD was 7.83%, and lifetime prevalence rates for men and women were 4.65% and 10.66% respectively. Female sex, lower educational level, monthly income, rural abode, and the presence of one or more major medical conditions were associated with increased risk of GD. Of the GD subjects interviewed, 25.2% were receiving some type of treatment, with only 4.7% preferring to seek treatment from mental health professionals.

Conclusions

Although still relatively low by international standards, there is an increasing trend in the prevalence of GD in China. The low percentage of subjects treated for GD is a major public health concern that should be addressed urgently.

Keywords

Chinageriatric depressionprevalencesuicidetreatment
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 38 , Issue 12 , December 2008 , pp. 1723 - 1730
Copyright
Copyright © 2008 Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

APA (1987). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 3rd edn revised. American Psychiatric Association: Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Chen, R, Copeland, JR, Wei, L (1999). A meta-analysis of epidemiological studies in depression of older people in the People's Republic of China. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 14, 821–830.3.0.CO;2-0>CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chen, R, Hu, Z, Qin, X, Xu, X, Copeland, JR (2004). A community-based study of depression in older people in Hefei, China: the GMS-AGECAT prevalence, case validation and socio-economic correlates. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 19, 407–413.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chiu, HFK, Yip, PS, Chi, I, Chan, S, Tsoh, J, Kwan, CW (2004). Elderly suicide in Hong Kong: a case-controlled psychological autopsy study. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica 109, 299–305.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chong, MY, Tsang, HY, Chen, CS, Tang, TC, Chen, CC, Yeh, TL, Lee, YH, Lo, HY (2001). Community study of depression in old age in Taiwan: prevalence, life events and socio-demographic correlates. British Journal of Psychiatry 178, 29–35.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cohen, J (1988). Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences, 2nd edn. Erlbaum: Hillsdale, NJ.Google Scholar
Cole, MG, Bellavance, F, Mansour, A (1999). Prognosis of depression in elderly community and primary care populations: a systematic review and meta-analysis. American Journal of Psychiatry 156, 1182–1189.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cole, MG, Dendukuri, N (2003). Risk factors for depression among elderly community subjects: a systematic review and meta-analysis. American Journal of Psychiatry 160, 1147–1156.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cole, MG, Yaffe, MJ (1996). Pathway to psychiatric care of the elderly with depression. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 11, 157–161.3.0.CO;2-S>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Geerlings, SW, Beekman, AT, Deeg, DJ, Van Tilburg, W (2000). Physical health and the onset and persistence of depression in older adults: an eight-wave prospective community-based study. Psychological Medicine 30, 369–380.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Heikkinen, RL, Kauppinen, M (2004). Depressive symptoms in late life: a 10-year follow-up. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics 38, 239–250.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jiang, YH, Zhang, YJ, Guo, JE, Fang, RL (2005). Psycho-status and intervention needs of dependents of depressed patients with dementia [in Chinese]. Medical Journal of Chinese People's Health 17, 533–534.Google Scholar
Jongenelis, K, Pot, AM, Eisses, AM, Beekman, AT, Kluiter, H, Ribbe, MW (2004). Prevalence and risk indicators of depression in elderly nursing home patients: the AGED study. Journal of Affective Disorders 83, 135–142.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Katon, W, von Korff, M, Lin, E, Bush, T, Ormel, J (1992). Adequacy and duration of antidepressant treatment in primary care. Medical Care 30, 67–76.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kessler, RC, Berglund, P, Demler, O, Jin, R, Merikangas, KR, Walters, EE (2005). Lifetime prevalence and age-of-onset distributions of DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Archives of General Psychiatry 62, 593–602.Google ScholarPubMed
Kleinman, A (1986). Social Origins of Distress and Disease: Neurasthenia, Depression, and Pain in Modern China. Yale University Press: New Haven.Google Scholar
Kua, EH (1992). A community study of mental disorders in elderly Singaporean Chinese using the GMS-AGECAT package. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry 26, 502–506.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lee, S, Tsang, A, Zhang, MY, Huang, YQ, He, YL, Liu, ZR, Shen, YC, Kessler, RC (2007). Lifetime prevalence and inter-cohort variation in DSM-IV disorders in metropolitan China. Psychological Medicine 37, 61–71.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Li, SR, Chen, CH, Zhang, WX, Jia, XJ, Liu, M, Xu, L (1999). The prevalence of geriatric depression and dementia in the urban community in Beijing [in Chinese]. Chinese Mental Health Journal 13, 266–268.Google Scholar
Lin, Y (2006). Relative factors and preventive countermeasures of elderly depression in the community [in Chinese]. Chinese Journal of Gerontology 26, 1013–1014.Google Scholar
Ma, SS, Qin, X, Chen, RL, Hu, Z (2006). Investigation of the incidence of geriatric depression in a rural community of Anhui province [in Chinese]. Chinese Journal of Public Health 22, 385–386.Google Scholar
National Bureau of Statistics of China (2003). China Statistical Yearbook 2003. China Statistics Press: Beijing, China.Google Scholar
O'Brien, B, Goeree, R, Streiner, D (1994). Prevalence of migraine headache in Canada: a population-based survey. International Journal of Epidemiology 23, 1020–1026.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Phillips, MR, Pearson, V (1994). Future opportunities and challenges for the development of psychiatric rehabilitation in China. British Journal of Psychiatry 165 (Suppl. 24), 128–142.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Phillips, MR, Shen, Q, Liu, X, Pritzker, S, Streiner, D, Conner, K, Yang, G (2007). Assessing depressive symptoms in persons who die of suicide in mainland China. Journal of Affective Disorders 98, 73–82.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Robins, LN, Wing, J, Wittchen, HU, Helzer, JE, Babor, TF, Burke, J, Farmer, A, Jablenski, A, Pickens, R, Regier, DA, Sartorius, N, Towle, LH (1988). The Composite International Diagnostic Interview: an epidemiologic instrument suitable for use in conjunction with different diagnostic systems and in different cultures. Archives of General Psychiatry 45, 1069–1077.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shen, YC, Zhang, MY, Huang, YQ, He, YL, Liu, ZR, Cheng, H, Tsang, A, Lee, S, Kessler, RC (2006). Twelve-month prevalence, severity, and unmet need for treatment of mental disorders in metropolitan China. Psychological Medicine 36, 257–267.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Steffens, DC, Skoog, I, Norton, MC, Hart, AD, Tschanz, JT, Plassman, BL (2000). Prevalence of depression and its treatment in an elderly population: the Cache County study. Archives of General Psychiatry 57, 601–607.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tang, MN, Liu, XH, Han, HY, Tang, MM, Wang, YF, Zhang, LZ (2001). Prevalence of depressive disorders among residents aged 55 or above in the Chengdu area [in Chinese]. Chinese Mental Health Journal 15, 103–106.Google Scholar
Twelve-Region Psychiatric Epidemiological Study Work Group (1986). A national 12-region psychiatric epidemiological study: methodology and results [in Chinese]. Chinese Journal of Psychiatry 19, 65–69.Google Scholar
Unutzer, J, Patrick, DL, Simon, G, Grembowski, D, Walker, E, Rutter, C (1997). Depressive symptoms and the cost of health services in HMO patients aged 65 years and older. A 4-year prospective study. Journal of the American Medical Association 277, 1618–1623.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wang, JR, Wang, DP, Shen, YC, Zhang, WX, Li, SR, Chen, CH (1998). Epidemiological survey of affective disorder in seven areas of China [in Chinese]. Chinese Journal of Psychiatry 5, 75–77.Google Scholar
Wetterling, T, Junghanns, K (2004). Affective disorders in older inpatients. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 19, 487–492.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Woo, J, Ho, SC, Lau, J, Yuen, YK, Chiu, H, Lee, HC, Chi, I (1994). The prevalence of depressive symptoms and predisposing factors in an elderly Chinese population. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica 89, 8–13.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yan, F, Li, SR (2000). Incidence of geriatric depression and follow-up [in Chinese]. Chinese Mental Health Journal 14, 392–394.Google Scholar
Zhang, HX, Ji, JL (2004). The medication compliance of patients with depression [in Chinese]. Shanghai Archives of Psychiatry 16, 356–358.Google Scholar
Zhang, WF (1999). The Ageing of Population and the Policies of China. China National Committee on Ageing: Beijing.Google Scholar
Zou, YZ, She, L, Shen, YC, Wang, YF, Feng, F (1995). The WHO Composite International Diagnostic Interview [in Chinese]. Journal of International Psychiatry 3, 147–149.Google Scholar