Symptoms of depression and associated factors in persons aged 50 and over in Europe and Israel: Analysis of data from the SHARE project

Abstract

It is estimated that by 2020 depression will be the second most common health problem affecting older people. Depressive disorders among the elderly are often under-diagnosed and under-treated despite being one of the main causes of disability, resulting in an increased use of health services, poorer physical health and greater medical costs. The mean prevalence of depressive syndromes among elderly people has been reported to be 13.5% (Beekman et al., 1999). The objective of this study was to identify the variables associated with the presence of depressive symptoms in non-institutionalized individuals aged 50 and over.