Memory complaint and memory performance in the depressed elderly

Depressed and nondepressed elderly subjects recruited in the context of a large epidemiological study of health were compared on measures of self-reported memory disturbance and an objective index of memory performance (free recall). Three groups were studied including (a) subjects meeting Research Diagnostic Criteria (RDC) for major depression, (b) subjects with high levels of self-reported depressive symptoms who did not meet RDC for major depression, and (c) subjects with low levels of self-reported depressive symptoms. Subjects with high depression symptom levels reported significantly higher levels of memory complaint than did subjects with low symptom levels. However, there were no differences in self-reported memory disturbance as a function of depression diagnosis. Further, there were no significant differences between groups on the free-recall measure, either as a function of symptom level or diagnosis. It is argued that symptom severity rather than diagnosis of depression is important in determining impairment in depressed elderly people.