Mental Health Care for Older Adults with Painful Osteoarthritis and Depression
Author Information
Author(s): Gleicher Yehoshua, Croxford Ruth, Hochman Jacqueline, Hawker Gillian
Primary Institution: University of Toronto
Hypothesis
The prevalence of depressed mood would be high, but the associated frequency of mental health-related physician visits would suggest under-recognition of concomitant depression.
Conclusion
Among older adults with painful OA, more than one-quarter had depressed mood, but almost half received no mental health care, suggesting a care gap.
Supporting Evidence
- 28.7% of participants had probable depression.
- 42.5% of those with depressed mood received mental health care.
- Women were more likely to receive mental health care than men.
- 56.7% of participants aged 65+ with probable depression received care.
Takeaway
Many older adults with painful arthritis feel sad, but a lot of them don't get the help they need.
Methodology
Annual interviews assessed comorbidity, arthritis severity, and mental health scores, linked to health databases for mental health-related visits and prescriptions.
Potential Biases
Potential misclassification of depressed mood and underestimation of mental health-related visits due to reliance on administrative data.
Limitations
The study relied on self-reported data and administrative records, which may have led to underestimation of mental health visits.
Participant Demographics
Mean age 70.8 years, 73.2% female, 93.0% Caucasian, 52.4% with low income.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.0001
Confidence Interval
95% confidence intervals reported for various outcomes.
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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