Chronic medical illness in patients with recurrent major depression

Author(s): Paradis, C. F., Houck, P. R., Rifai, A. H., Mazumdar, S., Pollock, B., Perel, J. M., Frank, E., Reynolds, C. F.

Journal/Book: Amer J Geriatr Psychiatr. 1996; 4: 1400 K St NW, Washington, DC 20005. Amer Psychiatric Association. 281-290.

Abstract: The authors treated 115 elderly patients (ambulatory and without dementia) with recurrent major depression, by means of combined nortriptyline and interpersonal psychotherapy. They contrasted Cumulative Illness Rating Scale-Geriatric (CIRS-G) scores (for medical burden) in recovered and nonrecovered patients and generated a Cox proportional-hazards model of time-to-remission. The authors found no association between pretreatment chronic medical burden and acute treatment outcome in recovered (83 of 115) and nonrecovered patients and no relation of pretreatment CIRS-G scores with time-to-recovery. Findings support recent recommendations that practitioners be optimistic in treating elderly depressed, ambulatory patients whether or not significant medical burden coexists.

Note: Article CF Reynolds, Western Psychiat Inst & Clin, 3811 O Hara, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 USA

Keyword(s): PSYCHIATRIC-DISORDERS; ELDERLY PATIENTS; CANCER-PATIENTS; LATE-LIFE; POPULATION; NORTRIPTYLINE; SYMPTOMS; DISEASE; PREVALENCE; MORTALITY

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