Table 1.

Descriptive characteristics of the overall study population and according to the presence of burdensome depressive symptomatology.

	Full sample	Depressive syndrome
		MADRSb ≤ 6	MADRS > 6	pa
	N = 2860	N = 2520 (88%)	N = 340 (12%)
Age, mean (SD)	73.1 (10.4)	72.7 (10.3)	75.8 (11.1)	<0.01
Sex, female %	63	62	71	<0.01
Education, %
Elementary	15	15	17	<0.05
High School	50	49	55
University	35	36	28
MMSEc, mean (SD)	28.7 (1.6)	28.8 (1.5)	28.1 (2.2)	<0.01
Number of somatic conditions, mean (SD)	3.7 (2.3)	3.6 (2.2)	4.6 (2.5)	<0.01
Somatic disease clusters, ≥1 disease, %
Cardiovascular	77	77	78	0.55
Musculoskeletal	29	28	35	<0.05
Respiratory	10	10	16	<0.01
Neurological	12	11	20	<0.01
Metabolic	64	65	60	0.08
Gastrointestinal	16	14	25	<0.01
Sensory	21	19	32	<0.01
Unclassified	49	48	56	<0.01

^aBased on T test or Chi square test as appropriate.

^bMADRS is a depressive rating scale obtained by combining 10 selected CPRS items [56]; a clinically validated cut-off of >6 was adopted to capture burdensome depressive symptomatology [57].

^cMini mental state examination.