Depression and Mortality in Elders Referred for Geriatric Psychiatry Consultation

The association between depressive symptoms and mortality was assessed in a 7-year longitudinal follow-up of subjects referred for geropsychiatric consultation.The medical records of 89 referrals were reviewed. Survival analysis was performed on subjects stratified by Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and residential status.Fifty percent of subjects with GDS > 6 (n = 28) died by 19 months versus 54 months for subjects with GDS < 7 (n = 61) (chi2 = 13.2, df = 1, P < .001). GDS, medical burden, age, and gender were independently associated with survival.GDS scores greater than 6 are associated with increased risk of mortality in elders referred for geropsychiatric consultation.