Depression and Frailty in Older Adults can Affect Their Spouses Too

People who are married to a depressed spouse are more likely to be sad, and a person married to a frail spouse are likely to acquire the same trait, says a research.

The study found that frailty and depression are connected within couples, especially in older adults.

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‘Frailty and depression symptoms in older couples may cause disability, falls, hospitalization and a shorter lifespan. ’

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Frailty, a condition that affects 10 percent of people aged 65 and older, can make older adults more prone to disability, falls, hospitalization and a shorter lifespan.

They found the frailer an older person is, the more likely it is that he or she will become depressed. The more depressed an older person is, the more likely he or she is to become frail.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, examined the effects of frailty and depression on married couples.

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These findings are based on a study of data from 1,260 married couples, aged 65 and older, collected during the Cardiovascular Health Study.

Although we know much about the effects of frailty and depression on individuals, up until now, little has been uncovered about how these two conditions may be connected within couples.

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Interestingly, older husbands tended to be more depressed and frail than younger husbands. Older wives were not more depressed but were frailer than younger wives.

People are considered frail if they have three or more of these conditions: Low body weight (unintentional loss of 10 pounds in the past year), weakness, exhaustion, slowness and physical inactivity.

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Frailty and depression symptoms may be intertwined for spouses, suggesting that senior living facilities might consider ways to increase couples' engagement in physical activities, social activities and mutual support, the researchers suggested.

Source-IANS