Quality of life in elderly patients with anxiety disorders

Objective To investigate the quality of life of geriatric depression combined with anxiety disorders and compare difference with depression without anxiety.Methods There were 108 cases of elderly patients with depression enrolled in this study according to the American diagnostic manual of mental disorders fourth edition(DSM-IV) diagnostic criteria.There were 58 patients with pure depression as depression group and 50 patients with depression combined with anxiety as comorbidity group.All patients were investigated with Hamilton Depression Rating Scale(HAMD),Hamilton Anxiety Scale(HAMA),and SF-36 Health Survey(SF-36) scale.Results The patients of depression group had higher score of physical function(PF) and social function(SF) than that in the comorbidity group(t=3.95,3.69,P0.05).The total score of HAMD and HAMA in depression group were lower than that in comorbidity group(t=-2.69,-6.16,P0.05).PF was positive related with SF(r=0.52,P0.05) but negative related with the HAMD and HAMA(r=-0.47,-0.47,P 0.05).SF was negative related with HAMD and HAMA(r=-0.45,-0.45,P0.05).Conclusions The quality of life of elderly patients with depression combined with anxiety was worse.They occurred depression and anxiety symptoms more seriously.The quality of life of comorbidity patients was related with depression anxiety symptoms degree.