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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Michelle S. Gilles, MS, Sylvia E. Furner, PhD, MPH, Susan L. Hughes, DSW, and Daniel Swartzman, JD, MPH. School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, 5491 Safe Harbor Ct., Fairfax, VA 22032, 703-764-3022, mgilles@uic.edu
While the prevalence of major depression is lower among older adults than younger adults, depressive symptoms not meeting the criteria for major depression affect eight to twenty percent of community-dwelling adults 55 or older. These symptoms may have an associated disease burden equal to that of all other mood disorders combined, and are associated with increased mortality, increased likelihood of developing major depression, functional impairment and service burden. Although risk factors for use of healthcare for major depression are well documented, less is known about who is at risk for using or needing healthcare for less severe forms of depression. This research uses data from the 1996 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey to examine which characteristics of individuals 50 or older with depressive symptoms (n=341) are associated with depression-related healthcare use or non-use, and which types of care were used most often. The person-level analysis will consider factors such as insurance type, access to care, health indicators (chronic disease status, functional status, self-rated health and mental health status), demographics, and family characteristics for the development of regression models. Weighted population estimates will also be presented. Possible facilitators of and barriers to healthcare use for depression will be discussed. These findings are critical for policymakers and planners to help identify who is at risk for using or needing care, and what the demand for services will be unless there is a concerted intervention or a change in health policy.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Depression, Utilization
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.