The trajectory of non-depressed suicidal ideation in community-dwelling older people in a rural area in Japan: a prospective longitudinal study with a 3-year follow-up.

BACKGROUND: Suicidal ideation is closely related to severe suicidal behaviour and is an important predictor of suicide attempt and completion, including in older people. Older people tend to have many opportunities to be conscious of death, and may have vague suicidal ideation because of various loss experiences, even if they are not depressed. We hypothesised that suicidal ideation among older people might be a risk factor for later transition to depression. The present study aimed to clarify risk factors that predict the incidence of depression in older people 3 years post-baseline in a rural area of Japan, and to examine the subsequent course of depression among non-depressed older people with suicidal ideation. METHODS: In 2015 and 2018, survey questionnaires were mailed to residents aged 65 years and over living in a rural area in Japan. Participants were divided into a depression group and a non-depression group using 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale scores 3 years post-baseline. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify predictive factors of late-life depression 3 years post-baseline. RESULTS: We received 597 valid responses, with a 3-year follow-up rate of 78.8%. Regarding suicidal ideation, 6.7% of non-depressed older people exhibited suicidal ideation at baseline. Of these, 9.8% exhibited depression after 3 years post-baseline. Logistic regression analysis indicated that development of late-life depression is significantly associated with suicidal ideation, being female, and poor health-related quality of life (HRQOL). CONCLUSIONS: The results revealed that suicidal ideation, being female, and poor HRQOL were predictive factors of the development of late-life depression 3 years post-baseline in a rural area of Japan. These findings provide novel information regarding the transition to depression among community-dwelling older people who are not depressed but have suicidal ideation. Whereas suicidal ideation is considered to be a symptom of depression, the current results suggest that suicidal ideation may precede depression in some older people.

Comparisons of prevalence and related factors of depression in middle-aged adults between urban and rural populations in Japan.

BACKGROUND: Findings of urban-rural differences in the prevalence of depression have been controversial, and few reports have directly compared the related factors of depression between urban and rural areas. The present study aimed to investigate differences between urban and rural areas in Japan with regards to the prevalence of and related factors of depression in middle-aged adults, in order to further understanding of the features of depression in this demographic. METHODS: We used a multistage, random sampling procedure and mailing method. In total, 5000 participants were recruited from urban and rural areas in Kumamoto Prefecture (2500 in each area). Participants were aged from 40 to 64 years. Depression was assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (CES-D). RESULTS: The prevalence of middle-aged depression was not different between the urban and rural areas. Logistic regression analysis found that being female, living alone, and having a chronic illness were significantly associated with depression in urban-dwelling middle-aged adults. Younger age, sleep disturbance, and financial strain were significantly associated with depression in both urban and rural areas. LIMITATIONS: The definition of depression was based on CES-D scores, without corroborating clinical evaluation. CONCLUSIONS: We found no marked differences in the prevalence of middle-aged depression between the urban and rural areas. Some related factors of depression in middle-aged adults differed between urban and rural areas in Japan. Effective intervention programs for middle-aged adults with depression should consider regional differences.

Effects of testosterone therapy on bipolar disorder with Klinefelter syndrome.

Klinefelter syndrome (KS) is widely associated with cognitive impairment and language problems. KS patients may also exhibit psychiatric symptoms. We present the case of an 18-year-old man with KS who experienced rapidly repeating relapses of manic episodes. He was unresponsive to the usual pharmacotherapies for bipolar disorders such as mood stabilizers and second-generation antipsychotics. Mood was eventually improved with testosterone therapy in addition to pharmacotherapy, with no relapse of manic episodes for 3 years after discharge. Testosterone therapy may prevent relapsing manic episodes of bipolar disorder in patients with KS.

Item non-response on self-reported depression screening questionnaire among community-dwelling elderly.

BACKGROUND: In responses to self-reported depression screening questionnaires, item non-response, which refers to the absence of answers to specific questions, is problematic. The objective of this study were (1) to clarify the features of respondents with item non-response on a self-reported elderly depression screening questionnaire (15-item geriatric depression scale; GDS-15) as compared to respondents with full responses, and (2) to compare positive depression screening rates calculated using two methods: excluding respondents with item non-response (complete case analysis; CCA) and estimating by multiplying mean scores from valid responses by the total number of GDS-15 items for respondents with item non-response. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study conducted from 2010 to 2012. Of 4794 elderly subjects (65 years and older) living in one town in Japan 2836 community-dwelling elderly people (59.2%) were included in the analysis. RESULTS: Item non-response was observed in 25.0% of respondents. Respondents with item non-response had a higher rate of depression and mental and physical problems. Respondents with depression (estimated GDS-15 score ≥6) and suicidal ideation both had a 1.6-times higher risk of item non-response on the GDS-15. The positive depression screening rate on GDS-15 by CCA was 16.5%, compared with 18.9% when calculated by the estimated GDS-15 score. LIMITATIONS: Our survey was conducted in one rural area and targeted only elderly people. CONCLUSION: The incidence of item non-response among community-dwelling elderly people was associated with depression of the respondent. Excluding subjects with item non-response when calculating positive depression screening rates in elderly individuals causes the rate to be underestimated.