Suspicion of depression frequency among senior citizens assisted in geriatric outpatient clinic in the city of Belo Horizonte

Abstract

Introduction: The aging process among Brazil’s population has increased the frequency of psychiatric illnesses in the old age, among which depression is the most common disorder. Among elderly patients, depression is often marked not only by the usual symptoms but also by uncommon ones, rendering its identification a difficult task in everyday clinical practice. Objectives: To detect the incidence of suspicion of depression among senior citizens assisted in a geriatric outpatient clinic located in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, in 2008. Methods: The sample consists of 22 seniors among the 62 assisted in the clinic. In order to classify the suspicion of depression cases, the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) rating, contained in the first evaluation applied to the seniors included in the study, was used. Results: It was noticed that 27.27% (n=6) of the seniors in the sample presented suspicion of depression, according to the GDS. Among those with suspicion of depression, 66.66% were aged between 60 and 70 years old, 66.66% had elementary education, 50% were widowed and 83.33% were female (60% among them, i.e. n=5, were widowed). The suspicion of depression frequency among senior citizens in the studied sample was identified as 27.27%, similar to the percentage found in similar studies. Conclusion: This is a good reminder of the importance of planning a physiotherapy program and carefully evaluating patients with suspicion of depression.