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Prognosis of depression in old age compared to middle age: a systematic review of comparative studies
Mitchell AJ, Subramaniam H.. The American journal of psychiatry, 2005-09-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Objective Depression in old age has a poor long-term prognosis; equal evidence shows that the same is true of depression in middle age. The authors sought to identify research that has compared the prognosis of depression in late life with depression in midlife under similar conditions. Method The authors separated studies that examined age at presentation/recruitment from studies of age at first episode of depression, studies that examined remission/response from those that examined relapse/recurrence, and those that examined mortality/risk of dementia.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Mitchell, A. J., & Subramaniam, H. (2005). Prognosis of depression in old age compared to middle age: a systematic review of comparative studies. The American journal of psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.162.9.1588
Vancouver
Mitchell AJ, Subramaniam H. Prognosis of depression in old age compared to middle age: a systematic review of comparative studies. The American journal of psychiatry. 2005. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.162.9.1588. PMID: 16135616.
BibTeX
@article{mitchell2005-16135616,
author = {Mitchell, A. J. and Subramaniam, H.},
title = {{Prognosis of depression in old age compared to middle age: a systematic review of comparative studies}},
journal = {The American journal of psychiatry},
year = {2005},
doi = {10.1176/appi.ajp.162.9.1588},
pmid = {16135616},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.162.9.1588}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- The authors sought to identify research that has compared the prognosis of depression in late life with depression in midlife under similar conditions.
- Method The authors separated studies that examined age at presentation/recruitment from studies of age at first episode of depression, studies that examined remission/response from those that examined relapse/recurrence, and those that examined mortality/risk of dementia.
- Results Evidence suggests that response and remission rates to pharmacotherapy and ECT are not sufficiently different in old-age depression and middle-age depression to be clinically significant.
- Older patients at study entry appear to have a higher risk of further episodes, which informs the debate about the duration of continuation treatment for depression in older people.
Why it matters
This systematic review compared the prognosis of depression in old age with middle age, including mortality and risk of dementia. It does not test any treatment, cure, or prevention for Alzheimer's disease.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 53/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a systematic review of all the studies on the question. Scored zero for sample size, effect reported and studied in people because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (The American journal of psychiatry) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | American Journal of Psychiatry: journal h-index 549 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 12 / 12 | A systematic review of all the studies on the question (from PubMed type “Systematic Review”) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2005 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | A review of other studies — randomization is not credited here |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 347 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 15.1 citations a year over 23 year(s) since 2005 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 1.1× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 6 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 47 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 1 / 4 | Last-listed author Hari Subramaniam: h-index 8 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Leicester General Hospital: institution h-index 272 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 16135616) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 53 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
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