Geriatric Depression

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that the medical community including geriatric nursing, recently has become aware of the high prevalence of geriatric depression. The author reviews a dozen diverse articles, which are most salient for nurses who shoulder most of the burden in both gerontological and psychiatric nursing fields, about diagnostic screening tests, approaches to discerning geriatric depression in the community and in primary care and some discussion of treatment options. The paper is critical of the slow response of physicians who rarely provide optimal care to geriatric depressives.

From the Paper:

"Clinical depression in geriatric patients was rarely recognized, till recently, often mistaken for dementia or bereavement, and seen as a natural aspect of the life cycle, or of the patient's recognition of impending death. In contrast, Kurlowicz referred to almost 5 million Americans above the age of 65 of whom clinical depression was diagnosed in 13% living in the community, 24% among older medical outpatients, and a full 43% in acute care and nursing home situations. (1999:8) Guerrero-Berroa & Phillips comment that, "geriatric depression has become a major concern {as} one of the most common and debilitating mental disorders in older people" (2001:15)."

More papers on Geriatric Depression:

• Essay # 137590 : "The Geriatric Depression Scale: Its Psychometric Properties"
• Essay # 83796 : "Detection of Geriatric Depression"
• Essay # 88684 : "Geriatric Depression"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: