Past Issues

Objective: Nursing home residents are at increased risk of depression. In contrast to Western studies of risk factors for depression in aged care facilities of this type, the biological risk factors for depression have seldom been investigated in Taiwan. Thus, the aims of this study were: (1) to investigate the risk factors for depression in residents of a nursing home in Taiwan, especially focusing on biological factors such as dementia, cerebrovascular disease (CVD), and various medical conditions; (2) to distinguish the characteristic patterns of biological and psychosocial risk factors for depression between nursing home residents with and without dementia. Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted in the nursing home of a medical center. A total of 91 residents were recruited: 56 with and 35 without dementia. The depressed and non-depressed subjects were compared using bivariate and regression analyses. The sample was then stratifi ed according to dementia status for further analysis. Results: The prevalence of depression in our sample was 54.9%. In patients with dementia, signifi cant differences between the depressed and non-depressed subjects included functional status, CVD, diabetes, perceived pain, malnutrition, and heart, musculoskeletal and eye diseases. In patients without dementia, signifi cant differences between depressed and non-depressed subjects included satisfaction with nursing home, life events, social networks, functional status, perceived health, CVD, neoplasm and respiratory diseases. Conclusion: There are distinct patterns of biological and psychosocial correlates for depression comparing nursing home residents with and without dementia. In psychiatric services to nursing homes, it appears reasonable to suggest that different strategies should be developed for the detection and management of depression in patients with and without dementia.