Prevalence of International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision Common Mental Disorders in the Elderly in a Brazilian Community: The Bambui Health Ageing Study

Structured lay-administered interviews may underestimate the prevalence of mental disorders in older people. One month, rather than one year or lifetime, prevalence may be more appropriate for the oldest-old given patchy recall of distant experiences. The very strong association between mental disorders and poor self-reported global health underlines their impact on quality of life.