Depression and somatic symptoms in the elderly: The role of cognitive function

This research was developed within a study on the quality of life of elderly people and involved 462 community-dwelling subjects aged 75 and over living in the city centre of Brescia and Padua, northern Italy. The presence of the well-known relationship between depression and somatic complaints was confirmed in the sample. In order to assess the role of physical conditions and cognitive impairment, the association between depression and number of pains was statistically controlled for the presence of disability (and other indicators of disease) and for cognitive function. Results indicate a correlation between the number of pains reported and the BSI depression scale score for cognitively intact individuals. The correlation was abolished in those individuals whose cognitive functioning was impaired. The relationships of cognitive function with depression and somatic complaints are discussed.