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The general population prevalence of non-organic psychiatric disorders in subjects aged 85 years and over

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

Thea J. Heeren ,
Albert M. Van Hemert ,
Anne M. Lagaay  and
Harry G. M. Rooymans
Thea J. Heeren*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and the Section of Gerontology of Leiden University, The Netherlands
Albert M. Van Hemert
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and the Section of Gerontology of Leiden University, The Netherlands
Anne M. Lagaay
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and the Section of Gerontology of Leiden University, The Netherlands
Harry G. M. Rooymans
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and the Section of Gerontology of Leiden University, The Netherlands
*
1 Address for correspondence: Dr Thea J. Heeren Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital, PO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands.
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Synopsis

The prevalence of psychiatric disorders was investigated in all inhabitants over 85 years of age (N = 1259), residing in Leiden, The Netherlands. The study design consisted of two phases. In the first phase the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the 12-item version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) were used to screen for potential cases; in the second phase all potential cases and a sample of the non-cases were interviewed with the Geriatric Mental State Schedule (GMS). DSM-III diagnoses were made based on the GMS and on information obtained from caregivers. There was a high prevalence of organic disorders of 31% (95% CI: 27–35%). The estimated overall prevalence rate for functional disorders was 8% (95% CI: 4–12%). This is an underestimate because organic and functional disorders are mutually exclusive in DSM-III. The prevalence rate estimated for the population at risk for functional disorders (i.e. the total population minus the organic cases) was 12% (95% CI: 6–18%). This is very similar to prevalence rates for functional disorders found in population based surveys in younger age groups. Therefore, in contrast with the dementias, there appears to be no increase with age for the functional disorders.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 22 , Issue 3 , August 1992 , pp. 733 - 738
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1992

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