Depression in elderly - evaluation and treatment options

Late-life depression ranges from mild to severe and clean lead to significant physical and social limitations. Up to one-third of patients with medical disorders also suffer from depressive symptoms. Differential diagnosis of depression is often confounded by medical conditions that impair cognitive functioning, such as Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. Atypical clinical presentations are also common in elderly patients. Depression is a modifiable risk factor for suicide in the elderly patients. Once diagnosed, depression is a highly treatable disease. Treatment modalities include psychotherapy, antidepressants and electroconvulsive therapy for intractable cases. Many patients can be efficiently treated by family doctors under the consulting regimen of a psychiatrist.

Keywords: treatment variance, elderly patients, Depression