Skip to main content

High Risk for Psychiatric Disorders Seen Before Dementia Diagnosis

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com.

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, Oct. 20, 2023 -- Patients with dementia have markedly increased risks for psychiatric disorders before dementia diagnosis, according to a study published online Oct. 17 in JAMA Network Open.

Minjia Mo, Ph.D., from the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, and colleagues examined temporal risk patterns of psychiatric disorders among patients with dementia before, at the time of, and after diagnosis. The analysis included 796,505 individuals, including 209,245 with dementia (2000 to 2017).

The researchers found that the relative risk for psychiatric disorders was consistently higher among patients with dementia versus control participants. The risk for psychiatric disorders began to increase from three years before diagnosis (hazard ratio, 1.72) and peaked the week after diagnosis (hazard ratio, 4.74), subsequently decreasing rapidly afterwards. Results were consistent for Alzheimer disease, mixed dementia, vascular dementia, and unspecified dementia. In the year leading up to the dementia diagnosis, there was a marked increased use of psychiatric medications, which peaked six months after diagnosis. Antidepressant use was consistently higher among patients with dementia versus controls, and the difference increased from two years before dementia diagnosis (15.9 versus 7.9 percent).

"These results suggest that managing psychiatric comorbidities is crucial for individuals with dementia across various disease stages," the authors write.

One author disclosed ties to the biotechnology industry.

Abstract/Full Text

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Read this next

Smoking Cessation Aids Equally Effective in Those With Mental Health Conditions

THURSDAY, June 6, 2024 -- Popular smoking cessation aids are equally effective in those with or without a history of mental health conditions, according to a study published...

Study Looks at Links Between Cognition, Psychopathology, Weight in Preteens

WEDNESDAY, June 5, 2024 -- Lower cognition and greater psychopathology at baseline are associated with increased weight gain for children entering adolescence, according to a...

Staying Up Late Tied to Poorer Mental Health

TUESDAY, June 4, 2024 -- Going to bed late, regardless of natural inclination, is associated with poorer mental health, according to a study published online May 19...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.