Biomedical subjects

R A Schoevers

Publications and source records attributed to R A Schoevers.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

[The prevention of psychiatric disorders].

About 450 million people all over the world suffer from psychiatric disorders. Limitations and handicaps are caused especially by unipolar depression, excessive alcohol consumption, schizophrenia and manic-depressive disorder. It is expected that the importance of psychiatric disorders for public health will increase in the coming decades. Psychiatric disorders are often the cause of death, destroy the lives of both patients and their families, have far-reaching economic consequences and are often complicated by somatic diseases. The advances in the field of treatment are impressive but can have only a limited effect on the consequences of psychiatric disorders for public health. The incidence of psychiatric disorders can be reduced by more than 25%. The greatest effects have been seen with depressive disorders, indicated prevention and the use of cognitive therapy. Indicated prevention has also been found to be effective in psychotic disorders. Debriefing is ineffective in posttraumatic stress disorder. The efficacy of universal prevention has not been investigated. There are still insufficient data to develop evidence-based guidelines for the prevention of psychiatric disorders.

Antipsychotic Agents↗

PubMed2005

Physical health and depressive symptoms in older Europeans. Results from EURODEP.

BACKGROUND: Associations between physical health and depression are consistent across cultures among adults up to 65 years of age. In later life, the impact of physical health on depression is much more substantial and may depend on sociocultural factors. AIMS: To examine cross-national differences in the association between physical health and depressive symptoms in elderly people across western Europe. METHOD: Fourteen community-based studies on depression in later life in nine western European countries contributed to a total study sample of 22 570 respondents aged 65 years and older. Measures were harmonized for depressive symptoms (EURO-D scale), functional limitations and chronic physical conditions. RESULTS: In the majority of the participating samples, the association of depressive symptoms with functional disability was stronger than with chronic physical conditions. Associations were slightly more pronounced in the UK and Ireland. CONCLUSIONS: The association between physical health and depressive symptoms in later life is consistent across western Europe.

Aged↗

PubMed2004

[Explanations for the relation between depression and increased mortality].

Depression is a highly prevalent disorder at all levels of health-care delivery. Depression has an unfavourable effect on the prognosis of somatic illnesses, and is associated with excess mortality. Several mechanisms may contribute to these relationships. First of all, depression affects behaviour. Depressed patients show more unhealthy living habits, less compliance with medical treatment, and a higher number of accidents and suicides. Secondly, biological aspects of depression are important. Dysregulation of the neuro-immune system, hyperactivity of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis, and autonomic dysregulation may all have a negative effect on both the prognosis of somatic illnesses and the lifespan. Although studies have suggested beneficial effects of the treatment of depression in (somatic) patients, it remains unclear whether treatment may also affect survival. Further research is needed to investigate the occurrence of and to unravel the mutual influences of depression and somatic illnesses, to search for possible pathogenetic mechanisms that may underlie both depression and medical disorders, and to assess the effects of depression treatment on biological parameters and survival.

Depressive Disorder↗

PubMed2003

Comorbidity and risk-patterns of depression, generalised anxiety disorder and mixed anxiety-depression in later life: results from the AMSTEL study.

BACKGROUND: Depression and generalised anxiety disorder frequently overlap. The question remains unresolved whether these are specific disorders, or that they represent different dimensions of a single disorder. Although both are highly prevalent disorders in this age group, studies on this issue in the elderly are scarce. Research is needed that investigates patterns of comorbidity and possibly different risk profiles for pure depression, pure generalised anxiety and mixed anxiety-depression in older people. METHODS: GMS-AGECAT diagnoses were obtained from 4051 community living older persons. Comorbidity was studied along a severity gradient for men and women separately. Multivariate analysis of risk factors included demographic variables, environmental vulnerability, longstanding vulnerability, physical/functional stresses and gender. RESULTS: The prevalence of pure depression was 12.2%, pure generalised anxiety 2.9%, mixed anxiety-depression 1.8%. Comorbidity increased with higher severity levels of both depression and generalised anxiety. Comorbidity was twice as likely in women than in men. Different risk profiles for diagnostic categories were not demonstrated for concurrent risk factors. Longstanding vulnerability was associated significantly stronger with mixed anxiety-depression than with pure anxiety and pure depression. Mixed anxiety-depression was overrepresented in women. CONCLUSIONS: Both lines of investigation suggest that, in the elderly, a dimensional classification is more appropriate than a categorical classification of depression and generalised anxiety. Mixed anxiety-depression is a more severe form of psychopathology that is almost specific to women in this age group.

Aged↗

PubMed2003

The natural history of late-life depression: results from the Amsterdam Study of the Elderly (AMSTEL).

BACKGROUND: This study examines whether risk factors related to incidence of depression are also related to prognosis, and whether a vulnerability-stress model can be established for prognosis. METHODS: A prospective model for prognosis of depression (chronic or remitted course) in later life was studied in 236 depressed community-living elderly. Subjects were interviewed at baseline, and at follow-up 3 years later. Bivariate and multivariate relationships between risk factors and chronic depression (GMS-AGECAT) were assessed. Effect modification was studied between stressors and two types of vulnerability: vulnerability through a personal history of depression, and gender. RESULTS: A personal history of depression, baseline functional limitations and incident anxiety syndrome predicted chronic depression, whereas life-events occurring between assessments, and changes in physical, functional or cognitive status did not. In subjects without a previous history, functional disabilities, male gender and receiving instrumental support correlated with a poor prognosis. The prognosis for subjects with a personal history of depression was not affected by other factors. In women, the development of chronicity was more strongly associated with a personal history than in men, whereas in men recent psychosocial and health-related characteristics were more important than in women. LIMITATIONS: Because the study consisted of two measurements with a 3-year interval, depressive episodes with a short duration may be under-represented. CONCLUSIONS: In the elderly, the impact of risk factors on the course of depression is modified by longstanding vulnerability characteristics, such as a personal history of depression and gender. More recent life stresses are related to prognosis in subjects without a personal history, and in men.

Aged↗

PubMed2001

Depression and cardiac mortality: results from a community-based longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: Depression may be a potential risk factor for subsequent cardiac death. The impact of depression on cardiac mortality has been suggested to depend on cardiac disease status, and to be stronger among cardiac patients. This study examined and compared the effect of depression on cardiac mortality in community-dwelling persons with and without cardiac disease. METHODS: A cohort of 2847 men and women aged 55 to 85 years was evaluated for 4 years. Major depression was defined according to psychiatric DSM-III criteria. Minor depression was defined by Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale scores of 16 or higher. Effects of minor and major depression on cardiac mortality were examined separately in 450 subjects with a diagnosis of cardiac disease and in 2397 subjects without cardiac disease after adjusting for demographics, smoking, alcohol use, blood pressure, body mass index, and comorbidity. RESULTS: Compared with nondepressed cardiac patients, the relative risk of subsequent cardiac mortality was 1.6 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.0-2.7) for cardiac patients with minor depression and 3.0 (95% CI, 1.1-7.8) for cardiac patients with major depression, after adjustment for confounding variables. Among subjects without cardiac disease at baseline, similar increased cardiac mortality risks were found for minor depression (1.5 [95% CI, 0.9-2.6]) and major depression (3.9 [95% CI, 1.4-10.9]). CONCLUSION: Depression increases the risk for cardiac mortality in subjects with and without cardiac disease at baseline. The excess cardiac mortality risk was more than twice as high for major depression as for minor depression.

Age Factors↗

PubMed2001

Emergence and persistence of late life depression: a 3-year follow-up of the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam.

BACKGROUND: The present study was designed to assess onset and persistence of late-life depression, systematically comparing the factors associated with prevalence, onset and prognosis. METHODS: The data were derived from a large (n=2200), random, age and sex stratified sample of the elderly (55-85 years) in The Netherlands. Using a 3-year, prospective longitudinal design, both the onset and the persistence of depression were assessed. Depression was measured using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Risk factors associated with prevalence, onset and persistence were compared using both bivariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: In those not depressed at index assessment, the onset of depression was 9.7%. Among those depressed at baseline, persistence occurred in 50.4%. Risk factors predicting onset were almost identical to those associated with prevalence. Persistence was predicted by very few factors (external locus of control and chronic physical illness). CONCLUSIONS: The data suggest that cross-sectional studies are biased due to their overrepresenting chronic depressive episodes. However, the risk factors derived from cross-sectional studies do seem to adequately reflect factors associated with onset. The prognosis is not adequately predicted by variables usually included in epidemiological studies of late life depression. It is speculated that including more biological correlates of depression and data concerning positive life-changes may improve our understanding of the prognosis of late life depression.

Age of Onset↗

PubMed2000

Risk factors for depression in later life; results of a prospective community based study (AMSTEL).

BACKGROUND: Depression in the elderly was found to be associated with a variety of risk-factors in cross sectional designs. Based on the vulnerability-stress model, etiologic pathways for depression have been suggested, with vulnerability modifying the effect of stress factors. The current prospective study tests an etiologic model for depression incidence, by assessing modifying effects of three types of vulnerability: genetic/familial vulnerability, organic vulnerability, and environmental vulnerability. METHODS: 1940 non-depressed community-living elderly were interviewed at baseline, and at follow-up three years later. Bivariate and multivariate relationships between risk factors and incident depression (GMS-AGECAT) were studied. RESULTS: Higher age, personal history of depression, death of spouse, health related factors and comorbid organic or anxiety syndrome showed significant bivariate associations with depression incidence. In multivariate analysis, the effect of stress factors on incident depression was not modified by a genetic/familial vulnerability, nor by an organic vulnerability. Effect modification by environmental factors was however evident; having a marital partner, and if unmarried having social support, significantly reduced the impact of functional disabilities on the incidence of depression. LIMITATIONS: The study consisted of two measurements with a three years interval, depressive episodes with a short duration may be under-represented. CONCLUSIONS: In the elderly, the effect of stress on incident depression is modified by environmental vulnerability. No evidence was found of effect modification by either genetic/familial or organic vulnerability. The results have implications for both recognition and treatment of late-life depression.

Age Factors↗

PubMed2000

Depression and risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease. Results of two prospective community-based studies in The Netherlands.

BACKGROUND: Depression may be associated with cognitive decline in elderly people with impaired cognition. AIMS: To investigate whether depressed elderly people with normal cognition are at increased risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease. METHODS: Two independent samples of older people with normal cognition were selected from the community-based Amsterdam Study of the Elderly (AMSTEL) and the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA). In AMSTEL, depression was assessed by means of the Geriatric Mental State Schedule. Clinical diagnoses of incident Alzheimer's disease were made using a two-step procedure. In LASA, depression was assessed with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Cognitive decline was defined as a drop of > or = 3 on the Mini-Mental State Examination at follow-up. RESULTS: Both in the AMSTEL and the LASA sample, depression was associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease and cognitive decline, respectively, but only in subjects with higher levels of education. CONCLUSIONS: In a subgroup of more highly educated elderly people, depression may be an early manifestation of Alzheimer's disease before cognitive symptoms become apparent.

Aged↗

PubMed2000

Association of depression and gender with mortality in old age. Results from the Amsterdam Study of the Elderly (AMSTEL).

BACKGROUND: The association between depression and increased mortality risk in older persons may depend on the severity of the depressive disorder and gender. AIMS: To investigate the association between major and mild depressive syndromes and excess mortality in community-living elderly men and women. METHOD: Depression (Geriatric Mental State AGECAT) was assessed in 4051 older persons, with a 6-year follow-up of community death registers. The mortality risk of neurotic and psychotic depression was calculated after adjustment for demographic variables, physical illness, cognitive decline and functional disabilities. RESULTS: A total of 75% of men and 41% of women with psychotic depression had diet at follow-up. Psychotic depression was associated with significant excess mortality in both men and women. Neurotic depression was associated with a 1.67-fold higher mortality risk in men only. CONCLUSIONS: In the elderly, major depressive syndromes increase the risk of death in both men and women, but mild depression increases the risk of death only in men.

Affective Disorders, Psychotic↗

PubMed1998

Physician-assisted suicide in psychiatry: developments in The Netherlands.

Physician-assisted suicide can now be officially and legally carried out for psychiatric patients in The Netherlands who request it, provided that criteria are met. The authors describe two recent cases of psychiatric patients whose suicides were assisted by their psychiatrist. They critically examine the guidelines for physician-assisted suicide in psychiatry. The criteria address the decision of the patient to be assisted with suicide, which must be voluntary and well considered, and the patient's desire to die, which must endure over time. The patient's suffering must be unacceptable, and the disorder incurable. The authors conclude that important aspects of psychiatric practice are not addressed in the guidelines, which were originally developed for use in somatic medicine. The assessment of treatment prognosis in psychiatry is not accurate enough to allow a final decision about incurability. Boundaries of the psychiatric therapeutic relationship are violated in physician-assisted suicide. The therapist's inability to objectively assess the patient's wish to die is overlooked. Because the general public will continue to ask for clarity on the issue of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide, the authors believe that an open discussion of both ethical and professional issues is the best option.

Depression↗