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Depression in the Elderly Some
people have the mistaken idea that it is normal for the elderly to
feel depressed. On the contrary, most older people feel satisfied
with their lives. Sometimes, though, when depression develops, it may
be dismissed as a normal part of aging. Depression in the elderly,
undiagnosed and untreated, causes needless suffering for the family
and for the individual who could otherwise live a fruitful life. When
he or she does go to the doctor, the symptoms described are usually
physical, for the older person is often reluctant to discuss feelings
of hopelessness, sadness, loss of interest in normally pleasurable
activities, or extremely prolonged grief after a loss.
Recent
research suggests that brief psychotherapy (talk therapies that help
a person in day-to-day relationships or in learning to counter the
distorted negative thinking that commonly accompanies depression) is
effective in reducing symptoms in short-term depression in older
persons who are medically ill. Psychotherapy is also useful in older
patients who cannot or will not take medication. Efficacy studies
show that late-life depression can be treated with psychotherapy.
(Lebowitz BD, Pearson JL, Schneider LS, Reynolds CF, Alexopoulos GS,
Bruce MI, Conwell Y, Katz IR, Meyers BS, Morrison MF, Mossey J,
Niederehe G, Parmelee P. Diagnosis and treatment of depression in
late life: consensus statement update. Journal
of the American Medical Association,
1997; 278:1186-90). |
