PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - S Iliffe
AU  - S S Tai
AU  - A Haines
AU  - A Booroff
AU  - E Goldenberg
AU  - P Morgan
AU  - S Gallivan
TI  - Assessment of elderly people in general practice. 4. Depression, functional ability and contact with services.
DP  - 1993 Sep 01
TA  - British Journal of General Practice
PG  - 371--374
VI  - 43
IP  - 374
4099  - http://bjgp.org/content/43/374/371.short
4100  - http://bjgp.org/content/43/374/371.full
SO  - Br J Gen Pract1993 Sep 01; 43
AB  - The aim of this study was to look at the interrelationship between depression, physical disability and contact with services. In a random sample of 239 people aged 75 years and over from nine general practices in north London, depression (as measured by a shortened version of the comprehensive assessment and referral evaluation schedule) was found to be significantly associated with being a woman, and inability to perform a number of activities of daily living. Consumption of three or more prescribed medicines, a home visit by the general practitioner in the previous three months and contact with health visitors and home helps were all significantly more likely among depressed patients. There were also significant associations between loss of functional abilities, measured using items from an activities of daily living scale, and use of certain services: general practitioner home visits and reduced mobility indoors and both home help and district nurse visits to those with difficulty in bathing. Multiple logistic regression analysis suggested that contact with services was principally associated with loss of mobility, although contact with home helps was independently associated with depression, when adjustment was made for functional impairment.