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Age Differences in Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety: Examining Behavioral Medicine Outpatients

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Abstract

This study examined whether symptoms of depression and concomitant anxiety differed between older and younger medical outpatients referred to a behavioral medicine clinic. In a sample of 178 male veterans aged 21–83 years, older adults (≥60 years) reported lower overall depressive symptoms on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and anxiety symptoms on the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory than did younger adults (<60 years). Depressive symptoms were highly prevalent. Among older adults, 60.0% scored 10 or higher on BDI and 33.8% scored 16 or higher. Among younger adults, 70.8% scored 10 or higher on BDI, and 48.7% scored 16 or higher. The age difference in overall depressive symptoms was driven by cognitive–affective symptoms. While older adults had lower cognitive–affective symptoms than did younger adults, the two groups did not differ on somatic-performance symptoms. These results suggest the importance of assessing cognitive–affective depressive symptoms in both older and younger male medical outpatients.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Stanford Center for Research in Disease Prevention, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California

    Jennifer H. Goldberg

  2. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California

    James N. Breckenridge & Javaid I. Sheikh

  3. VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California

    James N. Breckenridge & Javaid I. Sheikh

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  1. Jennifer H. Goldberg
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  2. James N. Breckenridge
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  3. Javaid I. Sheikh
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Correspondence to Jennifer H. Goldberg.

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Goldberg, J.H., Breckenridge, J.N. & Sheikh, J.I. Age Differences in Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety: Examining Behavioral Medicine Outpatients. J Behav Med 26, 119–132 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1023030605390

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