Explore by Indicator

Indicator Short Name: Lifetime diagnosis of depression

Indicator Long Name: Percentage of older adults with a lifetime diagnosis of depression

Indicator Description:

Depression is more than just a passing mood. Rather, it is a condition in which one may experience persistent sadness, withdrawal from previously-enjoyed activities, difficulty sleeping, physical discomforts, and feeling “slowed down.”¹

Risk factors for late-onset depression included widowhood, physical illness, low educational attainment (less than high school), impaired functional status, and heavy alcohol consumption.²

Depression is one of the most successfully treated illnesses. There are highly effective treatments for depression in late life, and most depressed older adults can improve dramatically from treatment.¹

Question:

Has a doctor or other health care provider EVER told you that you have a depressive disorder (including depression, major depression, dysthymia, or minor depression)?

a. Yes

b. No

c. DK/not sure

d. Refused

Reference:

1. Geriatric Mental Health Foundation. Depression in Late Life: Not a Natural Part of Aging. 2008. http://www.gmhfonline.org/ Accessed November 4, 2015.

2. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Mental Health. 1999.