Epidemiology of late-life depression and ethnicity research study (ELLDERS)

Depression is a leading cause of disability in the United States and is projected to increase in importance in the coming decades. Pioneer work in the 1980?s provided national prevalence estimates of major depression among older adults comes; however, those estimates are overdue for updates. Over the past twenty years, the average age of Americans has risen and the population is ethnically and racially more diverse. New technologies have been applied in neuropsychiatry and expanded current understandings of depressive disorders, particular in later life. The purpose of the three-year Epidemiology of late-life depression and ethnicity research study (ELLDERS) is to examine the current distribution of depressive disorders among older adults in the United States. Additionally, the functional status of older adults with late-life will be examined and related to activities related to independent functioning. Findings from the ELLDERS will provide current information about the distribution of major depression and functional status of affected older adults in the United States. The ELLDERS will provide insights into opportunities for prevention and intervention across the lifespan.