Medical illness burden, trait neuroticism, and depression in older primary care patients.

Abstract

The authors tested the hypotheses that medical illness burden is independently associated with depression and that this association is moderated by neuroticism. Multiple regression techniques were used to determine the independent associations of medical burden and neuroticism with depression in a group of 196 subjects, 60 years of age and older, recruited from primary care settings. Medical burden and neuroticism were independently associated with major depression, depressive symptoms, and psychiatric dysfunction. These findings support models in which medical disorders may contribute directly to depression. At the same time, the role of neuroticism in later-life depression warrants further study.