Minor depression and rehabilitation outcome for older adults in subacute care

During recent years, numerous studies have found an association between minor depressive symptoms and physical functioning for older adults recuperating from illness or injury. Whereas earlier research has focused on the effects of minor depression during rehabilitation in acute or long-term settings, this study examined 209 patients receiving subacute physical therapy. The dependent measures were total score changes on the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) obtained at admission, discharge, and 3-month follow-up. The independent measure was minor depressive symptoms, as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, obtained within 5 days of admission. A binary logistic regression analysis was conducted with dichotomized FIM scores and the presence/absence of minor depressive symptoms. The results indicated a statistically significant relationship between FIM score change and minor depression from admission to discharge, but not from discharge to follow-up.