THE LINK BETWEEN DEPRESSION AND FRAILTY AMONG OLDER VETERANS FROM A VA GERIATRIC CLINIC

Abstract

Frailty is described as the vulnerability to declining health that could contribute to increased morbidity and mortality. Exhaustion and overall weakness are key components of frailty and may have links to depression. Depression and frailty in many ways may not be distinct from one another and may be bidirectional in nature. As older adults’ health becomes compromised, patients may be at higher risk for frailty and depression. The purpose of this prospective pilot study of older veterans (n= 146) mean age = 83.7 (sd=6.1) was to identify the prevalence and associated factors with depression and two measures of frailty (Fried and Gill). In this study of a VA outpatient geriatric clinic, patients were screened for depression using the GDS-15 and for frailty using the Fried Frailty Criteria (weight loss, exhaustion, physical activity, walk time, grip strength) the Gill Frailty Instrument (walk time, sit to stand). In the current study, 25 (17.1%) patients reported some signs of depression (GDS 5 or greater). Regarding frailty, using the Fried criteria 77(52.7%) had some frailty, while 48 (32.9%) were frail. For the Gill criteria, 31 (21.2%) had some frailty and 49 (33.6%) were frail. Depression was correlated with Fried Frailty (r=.30) and its components including: difficulty in walking (r=.22); exhaustion [lack of effort (r.=33) and could not get going (r=.41)]. Depression was not related to Gill frailty, except for its component of difficulty in walking (r=.22). More in-depth studies are needed to fully understand the cyclical nature of the relationship between depression and frailty.