Diefenbach Gretchen J, Disch William B, Robison Julie T, Baez Evelyn, Coman Emil
Institute of Living, Hartford, CT, USA.
Aging Ment Health. 2009 Jan;13(1):118-26. doi: 10.1080/13607860802591062.
To determine racial/ethnic differences in the prevalence and impact of anxious depression (i.e. major depressive disorder, MDD, occurring concomitant with generalized anxiety symptoms) among older adults.
Interviews were conducted with 218 Puerto Rican and 206 African American older (age > or =60) urban senior housing residents. Data were collected on diagnostic status, depression severity and psychosocial functioning.
Results indicated a higher prevalence of MDD and anxious depression among Puerto Rican participants. Anxious depression was associated with more severe ratings of distress and suicidality compared with MDD alone, and the impact of depression and anxiety was most pronounced for the Puerto Rican participants. Puerto Rican participants also reported poorer subjective health and more substantial disability; however, these effects were independent of depression or anxiety status.
Anxious depression is common among older ethnic minority adults and the impact of these symptoms differs by race/ethnicity. These results highlight the importance of conducting culturally sensitive assessments of depression and anxiety among older adults.
确定老年人群中焦虑性抑郁（即伴有广泛性焦虑症状的重度抑郁症，MDD）的患病率及影响方面的种族/民族差异。
对218名波多黎各裔和206名非裔美国城市老年（年龄≥60岁）高级住房居民进行访谈。收集了关于诊断状况、抑郁严重程度和心理社会功能的数据。
结果表明，波多黎各裔参与者中MDD和焦虑性抑郁的患病率更高。与单纯的MDD相比，焦虑性抑郁与更严重的痛苦和自杀倾向评分相关，且抑郁和焦虑的影响在波多黎各裔参与者中最为明显。波多黎各裔参与者还报告主观健康状况较差且残疾情况更严重；然而，这些影响与抑郁或焦虑状态无关。
焦虑性抑郁在老年少数族裔成年人中很常见，且这些症状的影响因种族/民族而异。这些结果凸显了对老年人进行具有文化敏感性的抑郁和焦虑评估的重要性。
