Epidemiology and Mental Health in Old Age

doi:10.1017/9781108594714.004

Chapter 1 - Epidemiology and Mental Health in Old Age

from Section 1 - Epidemiology and Types of Disorders

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 September 2020

Philippa Lilford and

Julian C Hughes

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Julian C. Hughes and

Philippa Lilford

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Julian C. Hughes: Affiliation:
University of Bristol
Philippa Lilford: Affiliation:
Severn Deanery, University of Bristol

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Summary

Epidemiology is the study of disease and its determinants in populations. Epidemiological studies investigate what the patterns of diseases are and why they develop in particular populations. Epidemiology is important in improving our understanding of what causes disease. Similarly, understanding epidemiology and how to interpret observational data is crucial to avoid inaccurate causal inferences. Unfortunately, critically evaluating all of the data on mental health problems in old age was outside the scope of this chapter, but we try to highlight some important limitations and gaps in the literature. There are exciting developments in epidemiology that will guide our knowledge about the determinants of psychiatric disease. For example, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) are increasing our understanding of genetic associations with psychiatric diseases.

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Type: Chapter
Information: Clinical Topics in Old Age Psychiatry , pp. 5 - 23

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108594714.004 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2020

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