A community study of paranoid symptoms in the elderly population

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence oflate life onset of paranoid symptoms and to detect the different risk factors.

The subjects of this study were 1000 elderly individual above the age of 65 living in Kafer- El Zayat city and affiliated villages (El-Gharbia province), • 200 were surveyed in the urban area, while 800 were surveyed in the rural areas for the presence of paranoid symptoms which represented for the first • time above the age of 65. The patients were compared with elderly psychiatric

patients lacking the paranoid symptoms and healthy elderly, without psychiatric disorders.

. The psychiatric information were partially derived from BEHAVE-AD scale to assess the different symptoms encountered in patients and controls. The impact of life events was assessed by the Social Readjustment Rating Scale, [unctional assessment was assessed by the Physical Self-Maintenance Scale, and cognitive assessment was carried through the Mini-Mental State Examination and the . Cognitive Capacity Screening Examination. Hearing, visual, and associated medical problems were assessed by different clinical methods together with recording of the concomitant drug use.

The results of this study found that the prevalence of late life onset of paranoid symptoms was 8.1% with no significant difference between rural and urban areas.