TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2010//
TI  - Medical conditions and depressive, anxiety, and somatic symptoms in older adults with and without generalized anxiety disorder
JO  - Aging and mental health
A1  - Wetherell, Julie Loebach
A1  - Ayers, Catherine R.
A1  - Nuevo, Roberto
A1  - Stein, Murray B.
A1  - Ramsdell, Joe
A1  - Patterson, Thomas L.
SP  - 764
EP  - 768
VL  - 14
IS  - 6
N2  - OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine medical illness and anxiety, depressive, and somatic symptoms in older medical patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). <br><br>METHOD: A case-control study was designed and conducted in the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Geriatrics Clinics. A total of fifty-four older medical patients with GAD and 54 matched controls participated. MEASUREMENTS: The measurements used for this study include: Brief Symptom Inventory-18, Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, and the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule. <br><br>RESULTS: Older medical patients with GAD reported higher levels of somatic symptoms, anxiety, and depression than other older adults, as well as higher rates of diabetes and gastrointestinal conditions. In a multivariate model that included somatic symptoms, medical conditions, and depressive and anxiety symptoms, anxiety symptoms were the only significant predictors of GAD. <br><br>CONCLUSION: These results suggest first, that older medical patients with GAD do not primarily express distress as somatic symptoms; second, that anxiety symptoms in geriatric patients should not be discounted as a byproduct of medical illness or depression; and third, that older adults with diabetes and gastrointestinal conditions may benefit from screening for anxiety.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1360-7863
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13607861003713240
ID  - ref1
ER  -