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Physical health and depressive symptoms in older Europeans

Results from EURODEP

Department of Psychiatry and Institute for Research of Extramural Medicine (EMGO), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands

M. J. PRINCE, MD

Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Epidemiology, King's College, University of London, UK

A. T. F. BEEKMAN, MD

Department of Psychiatry and Institute for Research of Extramural Medicine (EMGO), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands

P. DELESPAUL, PhD

Department of Psychiatry/Neuropsychology, Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, University of Maastricht, The Netherlands

M. E. DEWEY, PhD

Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Epidemiology, King's College, University of London, UK

S.W. GEERLINGS, PhD

Department of Psychiatry and Institute for Research of Extramural Medicine (EMGO), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands

S.-L. KIVELA

Unit of General Practice, Turku University Hospital and Satakunta Central Hospital, Turku, Finland Hospital, Turku, Finland

B. A. LAWLOR, MD

Department of Psychiatry, Jonathan Psychiatry, Jonathan Swift Clinic, St James' Hospital, Dublin, Ireland

H. MAGNUSSON

Heilsugæslustöð, Grundarfirði, Iceland

I. MELLER, MD

Department of Psychiatry, Ludwig Maximilians Universität, Munich, Germany

K. PÉRÈS

INSERM U593, Université Victor Segalen, Bordeaux, France

F. M. REISCHIES, MD

Psychiatrische Klinik und Poliklinik, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany

M. ROELANDS, PhD

Scientific Institute of Public Health, Unit of Epidemiology, Brussels, Belgium

R. A. SCHOEVERS, MD

Department of Psychiatry and Institute for Research of Extramural Medicine (EMGO), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands

P. SAZ, MD

Universidad de Zaragoza, Servicio de Psicomá, Zaragoza, Spain

I. SKOOG, MD

Institute of Clinical Neurosciences, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Göteborg University, Sweden

C. TURRINA, MD

Dipartimento Materno Infanile, Facoltà di Medicina, Università degli studi di Brescia, Italy

A. VERSPORTEN, MEHSC, MPH

Scientific Institute of Public Health, Unit of Epidemiology, Brussels, Belgium

J. R. M. COPELAN, FRCPsych

Section of Old Age Psychiatry, University of Liverpool, UK

Correspondence: A.W. Braam, LASA/EMGO, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 11081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Tel: +31 (0) 20 4446770; e-mail: a.braam{at}vumc.nl

Declaration of interest None. Funding detailed in Acknowledgements.

Background Associations between physical health and depression are consistent across cultures among adults up to 65 years of age. In later life, the impact of physical health on depression is much more substantial and may depend on sociocultural factors.

Aims To examine cross-national differences in the association between physical health and depressive symptoms in elderly people across western Europe.

Method Fourteen community-based studies on depression in later life in nine western European countries contributed to a total study sample of 22 570 respondents aged 65 years and older. Measures were harmonised for depressive symptoms (EURO-D scale), functional limitations and chronic physical conditions.

Results In the majority of the participating samples, the association of depressive symptoms with functional disability was stronger than with chronic physical conditions. Associations were slightly more pronounced in the UK and Ireland.

Conclusions The association between physical health and depressive symptoms in later life is consistent across western Europe.

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