Not much is known about the prevalence of mood and anxiety disorders among older adults. According to a new study published in the May issues of the Archives of General Psychiatry, the rates of mood and anxiety disorders tend to decrease with age but remain very common, particularly in women.

Using data collected from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R), researchers from the University of California, San Francisco and their colleagues studied 2,575 participants aged 55 and older in order to determine nationally representative estimates of the 12-month prevalence rates of mood and anxiety disorders, as well as coexisting mood-anxiety disorder. Mood disorders included major depressive disorder, dysthymia, and bipolar disorder. Anxiety disorders included panic disorder, agoraphobia, social phobia, generalized anxiety disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

The researchers found that the likelihood of having a mood, anxiety, or combined mood-anxiety disorder generally declined with age, but the rates of mood and anxiety disorders were higher among women than men. There were no significant differences found between race or ethnicity groups. Overall, nearly 5% of the study participants had a mood disorder, 11.6% had an anxiety disorder, and 2.8% had combined mood and anxiety disorders.

As the number of older adults in the U.S. population increases, awareness of the prevalence of mood and anxiety disorders in older adults living in the community is important, especially because these mood and anxiety disorders are associated with poor health outcomes and can be treated. In a rapidly aging population, these mood and anxiety disorders represent a potential public health burden, so monitoring mental health among older adults and instituting appropriate interventions is important.

Source:

Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2010; 67(5): 480-488.