Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Comorbidity in the Elderly
Naim Erhan Özgüler, Fulya Maner, Sacide Çobanoğlu, Tamer Aker, Oğuz Karamustafalıoğlu
Article No:
1
Article Type :
Research
Objective: There are some dıfferences in clinical manffestations of PTSD between elderly and younge ı- adults. This study reveals information about the comorbidity of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in elder patients and makes comparisons with younger adults.
Method: The sample was elder people who had experienced 17 August 1999 Marmara Earthquake with the diagnosis of PTSD according to DSM-IV criteria. Sociodemographical form developed by the authors, Standardised Mini Mental Test (SMMT) both for educated and noneducated, SCID-I, CAPS were applied to elder and younger adults as a control group. The statistical analysis were performed by SPSS 11.0 programme. ANOVA, X square test, Pearson and Spearman correlation analysis were applied.
Results: The age range of elder group (n:39) was 60 years or more; mean age was 64.13 (SS: 4.162). The age range of the younger group (n:5I )was 18-55 years; mean age was 39.1 (SS:10.279). 51.3 % of the elder group and 47.1% of the younger group had been gracluated from elementary school. 76.9 % of the elder group and 78.4 % of the younger group had been married. 61.5 % of elder group and 47.1 % of the younger group had no comorbid diagnosis in SCID-I. 23.1 % of the elder group and 31.4 % of the younger group diagnosed as affective disorders (major depression, dysthymia). 12.8 % of the elder group and 15.7 % of the younger group had anxiety and somatisation disorders. 2.6 % of the elder group and 5.9 % of the younger group had alcohol and other psychoactive substance use disorders. Comorbidity difference is statistically significant among the two groups (p<0.001).
Conclusion: Major depression appears to be the most common comorbid diagnosis in elder (17.9 %) and adult (23.9 %) PTSD group. The comorbid disorders are significantly more in younger than elder PTSD patients.
Keywords :
PTSD, comorbidity, elderly
Dusunen Adam : The Journal of Psychiatry and Neurological Sciences :
2004;17:141-145
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