Google Scholar | Citations: 16429| h-index: 32 | i10-index: 482
Cognition and depressive symptoms in elderly people in primary health care
PDF (Portuguese (Brazil))

Keywords

Elderly
Cognition
Depression

How to Cite

Cognition and depressive symptoms in elderly people in primary health care. (2026). Electronic Journal Collection Health, 26(9), e24717. https://doi.org/10.25248/reas.e24717.2026

Copyright © | All rights reserved.

The journal holds the exclusive copyright for the publication of this article under the terms of Brazilian law 9610/98.

Partial reproduction
The use of parts of the texts, figures and questionnaire of the article is free, being mandatory the citation of the authors and journal.

Total reproduction
It is expressly prohibited and must be authorized by the journal.

Abstract

Objective: Analyze the sociodemographic and clinical profile, the prevalence of depressive symptoms and cognitive impairment, as well as the factors associated with these outcomes in older adults followed in Primary Health Care. Methods: Observational, analytical, and cross-sectional study conducted with 79 registered individuals in 2024. A sociodemographic and clinical questionnaire, the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and the abbreviated Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) were used. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Approved by the Research Ethics Committee.Results: Women predominated (74.7%), individuals aged between 60 and 79 years (77.2%), those with low education (70.9%), and family income between one and three minimum wages (51.9%). A high frequency of chronic diseases (81%), physical inactivity (63.3%), and chronic pain (53.2%) was observed. The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 31.6%, while cognitive deficit was 22.8%. Depressive symptoms were associated with the presence of chronic pain and cognitive deficit. Cognitive impairment was associated with age equal to or over 80 years. Conclusion: A high prevalence of depressive symptoms and cognitive deficit was identified among people followed in Primary Health Care. The association between chronic pain, depressive symptoms, and cognitive impairment highlights the need for screening for these conditions and the implementation of multidimensional interventions aimed at promoting mental health and maintaining the autonomy of the elderly.

PDF (Portuguese (Brazil))

References

ALMEIDA OP, ALMEIDA SA. Confiabilidade da versão brasileira da Escala de Depressão em Geriatria (GDS) versão reduzida. Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria, 1999; 57(2B): e421.

AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION. Guidelines for Psychological Practice With Older Adults. Washington, DC: APA, 2024. Disponível em: https://www.apa.org/practice/guidelines/older-adults.pdf. Acessado em: 26 maio 2026.

ANG L, et al. Psychotherapeutic treatments for depression in older adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2024; 11: eCD015976.

BERTOLUCCI PHF, et al. O mini-exame do estado mental em uma população geral: impacto da escolaridade. Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria, 1994; 52(1): e1.

BRASIL. Conselho Nacional de Saúde. Resolução nº 466, de 12 de dezembro de 2012. Brasília, DF: Ministério da Saúde, 2012.

COSTA JR, et al. Ageism and the feminization of old age: a systematic review. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 2026; 141: e106084.

FOLSTEIN MF, et al. Mini-Mental State: a practical method for grading the cognitive status of patients for the clinician. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 1975; 12(3): e189.

FOWLER NR, et al. Implementing early detection of cognitive impairment in primary care to improve care for older adults. Journal of Internal Medicine, 2025; 298(1): e31.

FU S, et al. Chronic pain and late-life depression are positively associated in Chinese centenarians and oldest-old adults. Depression and Anxiety, 2025; 1: e5565953.

GBD 2023 DEMOGRAPHICS COLLABORATORS. Global age-sex-specific all-cause mortality and life expectancy estimates for 204 countries and territories and 660 subnational locations, 1950-2023: a demographic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023. The Lancet, 2025; 406(10513): e1731.

GILL TM, et al. Risk factors and precipitants of severe disability among community-living older persons. JAMA Network Open, 2020; 3(6): e206021.

GOUVEIA DS, PORTO MVLP. Entre a senescência e a senilidade: processos neuropsicológicos que delineiam a qualidade de vida no envelhecer. Omnia Sapientiae, 2025; 5(2):e27.

HAJEK A, KÖNIG HH. What factors are associated with functional impairment among the oldest old? Frontiers in Medicine, 2022; 9: e1092775.

JANG YJ, et al. Cognitive impairment, dementia and depression in older adults. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2026; 15(3): e1198.

KAUP AR, et al. Trajectories of depressive symptoms in older adults and risk of dementia. JAMA Psychiatry, 2016; 73(5): e525.

LOPES VIEIRA MM, at al. Functional limitation in the older Brazilian adults: association with multimorbidity and socioeconomic conditions. PLoS One, 2023; 18(11): e0294935.

ROBLEDO LMG, et al. Healthcare for older people in Central and South America. Age and Ageing, 2022; 51(5): e017.

RUDNICKA E, et al. The World Health Organization (WHO) approach to healthy ageing. Maturitas, 2020; 139: e6.

SALARI N, et al. The global prevalence of mild cognitive impairment in geriatric population with emphasis on influential factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Geriatrics, 2025; 25(1): e313.

SONG J, et al. Effects of non-pharmacological interventions on sleep quality in older adults: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. BMC Medicine, 2026; 24(1): e192.

SONG WX, et al. Evidence from a meta-analysis and systematic review reveals the global prevalence of mild cognitive impairment. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 2023; 15:e1227112.

SOUZA APD, et al. Ações de promoção e proteção à saúde mental do idoso na atenção primária à saúde: uma revisão integrativa. Ciência & Saúde Coletiva, 2022; 27: e1741.

TCHALLA A, et al. Risk factors of frailty and functional disability in community-dwelling older adults: a cross-sectional analysis of the FREEDOM-LNA cohort study. BMC Geriatrics, 2022; 22(1):, e762.

UDEH-MOMOH CT, et al. Health, lifestyle, and psycho-social determinants of poor sleep quality during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic: a focus on UK older adults deemed clinically extremely vulnerable. Frontiers in Public Health, 2021; 9: e753964.

US PREVENTIVE SERVICES TASK FORCE et al. Screening for cognitive impairment in older adults: US preventive services task force recommendation statement. JAMA, 2020; 323(8): e757.

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION. Mental health of older adults. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2023. Disponível em: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-of-older-adults. Acesso em: 10 jun. 2026.

ZENEBE Y, et al. Prevalence and determinants of depression among old age: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Annals of General Psychiatry, 2021; 20(1): e55.