To examine the relationship between age and depression in persons with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Two separate outpatient cohorts of persons with RA were studied. In both studies, the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale was administered to all subjects, and the prevalence of depressive symptoms was determined by age group. In the second study, data on additional measures of disease activity, pain, life stress, and coping were collected for use in multiple linear regression analyses.
In both samples, a significant correlation between age and depression was found; younger persons (age < or = 45 years) with RA were significantly more depressed, even after controlling for potentially confounding variables such as sex, marital status, antidepressant medication, arthritis medication, functional class, and disease duration.
The findings show that younger persons with RA are at higher risk for depressive symptoms than their older counterparts.