Perceived barriers to mental health care and goal setting among depressed, community-dwelling older adults

Mark I Weinberger1, Camila Mateo2, Jo Anne Sirey11Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College, White Plains, NY, USA; 2College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USAObjective: Older adults are particularly vulnerable to the deleterious effects of depression and tend to underutilize mental health services. The current study aims to characterize the perceived barriers to care and goal setting in a sample of depressed, community-dwelling older adults. Methods: We report on the association among perceived barriers to care, goal setting and accepting a mental health referral using a subset of data from a larger study. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was used to assess depressive symptoms. Results: Forty-seven participants completed the study (Mean age = 82, SD = 7.8, 85% female). Accessing and paying for mental health treatment were the barriers most frequently cited by participants. Clinical improvement and improved socialization were most cited goals. In bivariate associations, participants who set goals (χ2 = 5.41, p = 0.02) and reported a logistic barrier (χ2 = 5.30, p = 0.02) were more likely to accept a mental health referral.Conclusion: Perceived barriers to care and goal setting appear to be central to accepting a mental health referral among community dwelling older, depressed adults. Developing interventions that can be used to increase mental health service utilization of older adults is necessary. Keywords: depression, older adults, community, perceived barriers to car

Antidepressant Prescribing in Primary Care to Older Adults Without Major Depression

ObjectiveThe study compared distress levels among two groups of older adults who had been newly prescribed an antidepressant by their primary care physician, those with major depressive disorder (MDD) and those without MDD.MethodsThis analysis used a convenience sample of participants (N=231) who had been newly prescribed an antidepressant in a randomized controlled trial of a program to improve antidepressant adherence and depression outcomes among older adults (≥55). After determining the proportion of participants with and without MDD (using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV), the authors compared groups on demographic, clinical, and psychosocial characteristics, including the 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey physical and mental component summary scores (PCS and MCS). Logistic regression was used to test the association of these characteristics with antidepressant use in the absence of MDD.ResultsMost (57%) participants did not have MDD. This group was older (69.4 versus 64.7, p<.001), had a larger proportion of white participants (82% versus 56%, p<.001), and reported better physical (PCS, 43.4 versus 39.9, p=.03) and emotional (MCS, 40.2 versus 30.5, p<.001) well-being compared with the group with MDD. In the final regression model, white race (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=3.11, p=.03) and better emotional well-being (AOR=1.16, p<.001) were associated with antidepressant use in the absence of MDD.ConclusionsOlder adults prescribed antidepressants in the absence of MDD did not report similar distress levels compared with their counterparts with MDD. Given the continued emphasis on screening for depression in primary care, it is important to consider the potential for overtreatment