The Prevalence of Depression in Older U.S. Women: 2006 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System

Depression, a type of mood disorder, is associated with psychological distress and suffering, and it can lead to impairments in physical, mental, and social functioning. The goal of this commentary is to provide an estimate of the prevalence of current depression and lifetime diagnosis for 14,425 community-dwelling U.S. women aged 65 and older. Using information from the 2006 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), participants reported their lifetime diagnosis of depression and completed the Patient Health Questionnaire 8 to assess current depression and its severity. Our findings indicate that 5.9% of women 65 years old and older have current depression, 94.1% reported either no depressive symptoms or mild depressive symptoms, and 12.3% reported a lifetime diagnosis of depression. Mental health is integral to overall health and well-being and should be treated in older women with the same urgency as physical health. Depression is a mental health issue of particular concern for women, given their increasing numbers, higher proportion in the US population, and role as caregivers. Continued surveillance from a system such as the BRFSS is needed to track changes in the mental health of older adults.