Adult depression

Depression Associated with Disability

Adult depression begets more than just the blues. Northwestern investigators have found that depressed middle-aged adults, particularly African Americans, are at four times greater risk for being unable to perform everyday tasks than their non-depressed peers. "Among pre-retirement adults, limitations in life activities are strong determinants of job loss and the ability to find employment, and jeopardize an individual’s ability to live independently, said Dorothy D. Dunlop, PhD, research associate professor at the Institute for Healthcare Studies and lead author of the study, which was published in the November issue of the American Journal of Public Health.

Depressed African Americans found the prospect of developing disabilities in daily activities such as dressing, bathing, eating, and walking devastating. Research results showed that almost one in five depressed African American study participants developed a disability within two years of enrolling in the study compared with one in 20 of their non-depressed peers. Dr. Dunlop and co-researchers analyzed data from nearly 7,000 participants from a prospective survey of community dwelling adults ages 54–65. These individuals were free of disability at the beginning of the study in 1996.

Persons with depression were more likely to live alone; report chronic conditions, disabilities, or functional limitations; and possess few economic resources. Study findings suggested that substantial excess risk from depression leads to greater health needs. The authors recommended developing programs to combat depression, thus decreasing disabilities affecting daily living, and, ultimately, interrupting the costly spiral of health decline.