Anxiety among older psychiatric patients: a hidden comorbidity?. (1st November 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bendixen, Anette Bakkane; Engedal, Knut
• Is Part Of: Aging & mental health. Volume 20:Number 11(2016)
• Page Start: 1131
• Page End: 1138
• Publication Date: 2016-11-01
• Subjects: anxiety -- old age -- comorbidity -- depression -- geriatric psychiatry; Older people -- Mental health -- Periodicals; Geriatric psychiatry -- Periodicals; Older people -- Psychology -- Periodicals; Aging -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; Aged -- psychology -- periodicals; Mental Health -- periodicals; Mental Health Services -- periodicals; Aging -- psychology -- periodicals; Aged, 80 and over -- psychology -- periodicals; 618.97689
• DOI: 10.1080/13607863.2015.1063106
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1360-7863

Abstract

Abstract : Objectives: Our aims were to explore prevalence of anxiety among patients admitted to departments of geriatric psychiatry for treatment of various diagnoses and to examine how often anxiety was registered as a previous or ongoing diagnosis. Method: In all, 473 patients admitted to one of five departments of geriatric psychiatry were included in a quality register and examined according to a standardized protocol. The Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI) was used to measure anxiety during the first week after admission. Diagnoses were made at discharge. Results: Using a cutoff on the GAI of 8/9, the prevalence of anxiety for the following diagnostic groups was depression 65.3%, psychosis 28%, dementia 38.8% and mania 33.3%. Of 24 patients with a primary diagnosis of anxiety, 66.7% scored above 8 on the GAI. Of 236 patients with a GAI score above 8, only 22 (9.3%) were reported to have a comorbid anxiety disorder by the treating psychiatrist. In a multiple regression analysis, we found that the severity of depression (beta 0.585, p < 0.001), being female (beta 0.096, p 0.028) and the use of antipsychotic drugs (beta 0.129, p 0.006) and anxiolytic drugs (beta 0.129, p 0.005) were associated with a higher GAI score. Conclusion: Anxiety is common in geriatric psychiatric patients, regardless of the primary diagnosis. Our findings suggest that anxiety is often a hidden comorbidity in various psychiatric disorders. A high score on the GAI was associated with the severity of depression, female gender and the use of antipsychotic and anxiolytic drugs.