Nearly 45% of seniors in residential care live with depression or symptoms of depression
Canadian Institute for Health Information, May 20, 2010
Study finds seniors with depressive symptoms have worse health status, poorer quality of life

More than two in five (44%) Canadian seniors living in residential care homes are diagnosed with or have symptoms of depression, according to a new study released today by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI).

The study, Depression Among Seniors in Residential Care, is one of the largest of its kind in Canada to examine the prevalence of depression and the impact it has on persons living in residential care facilities, such as long-term care, nursing or personal care homes. Based on data from CIHI`s Continuing Care Reporting System, the study included nearly 50,000 residents age 65 and older across four provinces and one territory (Nova Scotia, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Yukon).

Depression in Ontario: What Predicts a First Mental Health Re-Hospitalization?
Canadian Institute for Health Information, March 2, 2010
Individuals who reported having support in managing their mental illness, such as receiving help in a crisis from family or friends, were about 25% to 30% less likely to be readmitted to hospital for a mental illness between 31 days and 1 year after their first admission for depression, according to a new study by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI). The study found that 20% of people admitted to hospital for depression for the first time in Ontario were rehospitalized for a mental illness within one year of their initial admission. The analysis also shows that almost half of people initially hospitalized for depression had a different mental health diagnosis upon readmission, such as a substance-related disorder or bipolar disorder.

Depression in Ontario: What Predicts a First Mental Health Rehospitalization examines individuals (age 18 to 65) with a first lifetime admission for depression and the risk factors for hospital mental health readmission. The analysis covers the period from April 1, 2006, to March 31, 2009, and examines outcomes at three different follow-up periods (30 days, 90 days and 365 days), thereby allowing for distinctions to be made between risk factors whose impact was evident in the more immediate term and those whose impact was evident in the medium and later terms.