Personal activities

I am an epidemiologist interested in the prevalence, risk factors and outcomes associated with psychiatric disorders, syndromes and symptoms in late life. My primary research focus is in the area of geriatric depression where I work closely with geriatric psychiatrists and biostatisticians to conduct secondary analysis of data collected in community and clinical epidemiologic studies. I have received external support to study latent subtypes of depressive symptoms, longitudinal outcomes associated with depressive symptoms, and the interrelationships of depression and functional status. My studies include:

• Identifying latent subtypes of major depression as observed in a clinical setting and subtypes of depressive symptoms as observed in representative community samples.
• Identifying latent class trajectories of both depressive symptoms as observed in representative community samples and among older patients following an index episode of major depression.
• Modeling the course of late life depression following an index episode of major depression and identifying conjoint processes that affect this course.
• Examining the interrelationships of depressive symptoms and functional status among community dwelling older adults followed over time.
• Examining functional outcomes of depression among older adults

Selected references

Hybels CF, Blazer DG, Pieper CF, Landerman LR & Steffens DC. Profiles of depressive symptoms in older adults diagnosed with major depression: Latent cluster analysis. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 2009;17:387-396. PMCID: PMC2718569.

Hybels CF, Blazer DG, Landerman LR & Steffens DC. Heterogeneity in symptom profiles among older adults diagnosed with major depression. International Psychogeriatrics 2011;23:906-922. PMCID: PMC3139722.

Hybels CF, Landerman LR & Blazer DG. Age differences in symptom expression in patients with major depression. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 2012;27:601-611. PMCID: PMC3275655.

Hybels CF, Pieper CF, Blazer DG & Steffens DC. The course of depressive symptoms in older adults with comorbid major depression and dysthymia. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 2008;16;300-309.

Hybels CF, Pieper CF, Blazer DG, Fillenbaum GG & Steffens DC. Trajectories of mobility and IADL function in older patients diagnosed with major depression. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 2010;25:74-81.PMCID: PMC2894462.

Hybels CF, Pieper CF & Blazer DG. The complex relationship between depressive symptoms and functional limitations in community dwelling older adults: The impact of subthreshold depression. Psychological Medicine 2009;39:1677-1688. PMCID: PMC2741540.

Faculty profile