background Depression is a common psychiatric disorder at old age. Although a different phenomenology has been suggested for latelife compared to early-life depression, research data are scarce and inconsistent.
aim To investigate the effect of age on the phenomenology of major depression.
method A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Embase and PsycINFO. Studies examining the relation between age and phenomenology of major depression, according to dsm and International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (icd) criteria, were included. To increase homogeneity, we only included studies in which both groups were compared at the single item level of the 17-, 21- or 24-item version of the Hamilton Depression Scale (ham-d). Mean scores and frequencies of the 17 items of the ham-d were extracted from the articles. Correlations were extracted when articles provided only correlations between age and item scores. Data were analysed using comprehensive meta analysis, version 2. Effect sizes were calculated for each ham-d item separately. Apart from this, analysis of nesdo and nesda data concerning this subject will be carried out soon. At the congress further details will be discussed.
results Of the 2654 articles found, only 11 (n = 2056) could be included. Depression severity in younger and older people was not statistically different. Analysis showed that older people with major depression demonstrate more agitation, general and gastro-intestinal somatic symptoms and hypochondriasis, but less guilt and loss of sexual interest, compared to younger people with major depression.
conclusion Our results suggest that the phenomenology of late-life depression differs partly from that of early-life depression.