Arthritis is highly prevalent in older people with depression says large new study

Older adults with varying degrees of depression have a high incidence of arthritis, experts report in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

The team examined the prevalence of arthritis in 4,792 adults aged 50 years and older with varying severity levels of depression.

They found that arthritis prevalence was 55% for people with minor depression; 63% for those with moderate depression; and 68% for people with severe depression.

“Depression is highly prevalent yet one of the most undertreated and poorly understood psychosocial factors related to arthritis, with nearly half of older adults with both chronic pain and depression receiving either inadequate or no mental health care,” the research team says.

“Understanding that depressive symptoms and arthritis may be interlinked in older adults is critical when making decisions for health care budget allocation to ensure availability and access to appropriate services.”

Click here to read the original findings.

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