Prevalence and pattern of neuropsychiatric conditions among community‐dwelling older Lebanese adults and their relation to cognitive function

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundNeuropsychological and behavioral changes are an important source of burden for older adults and present a high and complex co‐morbidity with cognitive decline. Several reports suggest that these constructs may differ in their manifestations across cultures yet the vast majority of data come from higher‐income countries. Data on mental and cognitive health are particularly scarce in Lebanon. We examined the prevalence and overlap of depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbances at older age and their association with cognitive functioning in a community‐dwelling cohort of older adults (65 and above) in Lebanon (n=502; mean age=75.52 (SD=7.22); 56% women).MethodDepression, anxiety, and reported sleep problems or changes were measured using the Geriatric Mental State (GMS) Agecat Package. Using adjusted linear regression models, we estimated how the presence of these conditions is related to cognitive function, measured with the Community Screening Instrument for Dementia (CSI‐D). Data processing is still ongoing to include more participants.ResultPreliminary results showed that in our sample, 13.1% had at least one neuropsychological problems and 4.4% had two or more. Estimated prevalence was 10.6% for depression, 1.6% for anxiety, and 10.6% for the presence of sleep disturbances. With regards to overlap, all participants with anxiety had concomitant depression and 50% had sleep problems. Among participants with depression, 15% had anxiety and 33% had sleep disturbances. Among participants with sleep disturbances, 33% had depression and 7.5% had anxiety. The odds of depression, anxiety, or sleep disturbances were 2.9, 2.3, and 1.7 times higher for women than they were for men, respectively. Socioeconomic indicators were not associated with depression, anxiety, or sleep disturbances. The presence of any neuropsychological problem was not related to cognitive scores, and depression and sleep disturbances were not related to cognitive scores; in contrast participants with anxiety symptoms had lower cognitive scores (beta=‐3.28 (95% CI=‐5.074,‐1.492)).ConclusionResults suggest an important overlap in the presence of neuropsychological problems in this cohort and a potential differential relationship between anxiety – which was highly correlated to the presence of other mental health problems – and cognitive functioning in Lebanese older adults.