The guy's/age concern survey: Physical health and psychiatric disorder in an urban elderly community

The associations between physical health problems and cognitive impairment, depression, generalized anxiety and phobic disorders are described in a random community sample of 890 elderly people. 28.4% of the total sample reported one or more serious physical health problems, and increased rates of health problems were associated with cognitive impairment, depression, generalized anxiety and agoraphobia. Particular psychiatric disorders were associated with distinct patterns of specific physical health problems. Self‐reports of physical health problems were associated with worry about physical health, but this did not account for the association between physical health problems and depression and agoraphobia.