Reducing depression and suicide amongst older Australians: a clustered randomised clinical trial in primary health care

Funding Activity

Website
http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/353569

Funding Status
Closed

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Funded Activity Summary

Like many industrialised nations, Australia's population is ageing. By the year 2051, the population aged 65 years and over is projected to triple in size, while those over 85 will increase five-fold. The social, financial, and health consequences of a rapidly ageing society cannot be ignored. Accompanying this population explosion will be greater numbers of individuals experiencing age-related physical disorders and disabilities that give rise to social and psychological problems, including depression and suicide. Suicide rates are very high in later life, with the ratio of men who kill themselves in late old age greater than that found in their youthful counterparts. Depression is most often linked to suicidal behaviour in this age group, with research suggesting that the treatment of this mental disorder may directly lead to a reduction in suicide in the aged. Approximately 80% of older adults will visit their general practitioner at least once per year in Australia, while up to 70% of older people will consult their GP in the month prior to their death by suicide. This suggests that GPs are in the best possible position to detect and manage depression and suicide risk in later life. Unfortunately, depression is consistently reported to be underdiagnosed and undertreated in this setting. The purpose of this study is to determine whether an educational programme targeting Australian GPs can enhance doctors' detection rates of depression and suicide risk, thereby leading to a reduction in depression and suicidal behaviour among those older patients visiting their surgeries.

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 01-01-2005

End Date: 01-01-2007

Funding Scheme: NHMRC Project Grants

Funding Amount: $765,050.00

Funder: National Health and Medical Research Council

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

Mental Health

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

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Other Keywords

ageing | depression | general practice | preventative medicine | primary health care | suicide

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