The Comorbidity of Anxiety Disorders with Depression and the Associated Risk Factors in Geriatric Psychiatry Outpatients

Abstract

Aims:

We aimed to study the prevalence of anxiety disorders with the comorbidity of depressive disorders and the effects of risk factors among the patients attending the general Geriatric Psychiatry Outpatient Unit.

Methods:

Subjects were evaluated in terms of Anxiety Disorders on the basis of DSM criteria, SCID. Each patient was asked to fill out Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Scale, Beck Anxiety and Depression Scale. Sociodemographic features and risk factors were assesed the prepared questionnaire.

Results:

In a number of total 1209 applicants in 12 months, we found the prevalance of anxiety disorders was %9,48 with a number of 115 patients in outpatient department applications and the prevalence of Generalized Anxiety Disorder was found out to be %4,63(n:56), Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia %1,98(n:24), without Agoraphobia %0,90(n:11), the prevalence of OCD was %0,82(n:10), PTSD %0,49(n:6) and other anxiety disorders (SAD, SP, NOS) was %0,66(n:8).

In the patients with anxiety disorders, the prevalence of depression comorbidity was found out to be %73,05(n:84), with the prevalence of the comorbid major depressive disorder %26,1(n:31), and the dysthymic/minor depressive disorder was %46,95(n:53). As a result of statistical analysis,we found that the risk factors associated with STAI-I and II scores were total years spent on education, but in reverse manners, as the education level increased, the STAI-I and II scores decreased.

Conclusions:

Anxiety disorders with comorbid depression might be frequent disorders among Turkish secondary care attenders. There is a need for further studies on the epidemiology of anxiety disorders and their comorbidity with depression among elderly in Turkey.