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Posted on Apr 10, 2008, 8 p.m.
By Jeanelle Topping
People prone to symptoms of anxiety, worry or insecurity remain at risk of suffering from a first episode of clinical depression after the age of 70, a study reveals.
People prone to symptoms of anxiety, worry or insecurity remain at risk of suffering from a first episode of clinical depression after the age of 70, a study reveals.
Research conducted at the University of Rochester Medical Center found that people over the age of 70 are still at risk of facing a significant period of depression, despite not having suffered from the illness previously in their adult lifetime.
The study's leader professor Paul R Duberstein, director of the Laboratory of Personality and Development at the Medical Center, commented: "The findings suggest that long-standing personality traits can predict onset of depression into older adulthood."
The researchers explained that the onset of clinical depression in later life is an important issue for men in particular, as statistics indicate a higher suicide rate among men in western society.
Professor Duberstein's team suggest that protective factors such as close personal relationships, rewarding hobbies or occupations, physical vitality and spiritual wellbeing may be broken down by the processes associated with aging.
