Epidemiology Studies of Older Australians

Project Outlines and Aims

Large epidemiological studies offer an excellent resource for researchers interested in ageing. The studies typically use a survey format, recruit a large number of respondents, and gather information from a diverse range of people. Because all respondents are asked the same questions, researchers can make direct comparisons between different age groups (e.g., the young, middle aged, and old). Our research group is analysing data from two large Australian epidemiological studies that include elderly respondents: The Australian National Mental Health and Wellbeing Survey (1997) and The 45 & Up Study.

Our focus is on describing the mental health of older Australians, identifying predictors of mental health in the elderly, and exploring any relevant differences in mental health observed across the age bands. This information may serve to inform future public health campaigns and improve the assessment and treatment of mental disorders in older Australians.

Potential Participants

The 45 & Up Study is recruiting survey respondents from NSW who are aged 45 years and older. Each respondent completes a brief questionnaire every five years. To date 36,645 people have completed the survey. An initial dataset has been released to approved research groups for analysis but the recruitment of survey respondents will continue until a total of 250,000 people have taken part. People living in New South Wales who are interested in knowing more about the 45 and Up Study and how to take part should view their website.

Staff

Dr Tracy Anderson
Professor Gavin Andrews
Dr Julian Trollor
Mr Matthew Sunderland
Professor Perminder Sachdev
Professor Henry Brodaty