Elder Depression: A Proposed Intervention

Paper Summary:

This paper identifies the causes of elder depression, possible treatments for the disease, and proposes a geriatric intervention program that would reduce depression in the elderly population. This type of depression is the often undiagnosed and as a result, under treated. The author defines depression, and details its many different signs, focusing on those that are particularly difficult to detect in the elderly. The author then details the steps that should be taken in treating this disease, including an initial visit to a physician, proper diagnosis, treatment and a carefully monitored medication schedule. The patient should then enter the care of a psychiatrist, or psychologist, preferably with their spouse, or other family members in order to help the person through this difficult period in time. The message that this author hopes to bring to the reader is that the elderly are a unique population, who often suffer from a very common disease, but they need to be treated keeping their special status in mind.

From the Paper:

"Depression is a persistently sad mood that impairs ones ability to function normally in work, home, or social relationships. A depressed person cannot be cheered up or rid themselves of their mood, any more than they could rid themselves of another medical problem such as diabetes or heart disease. Sometimes the sad mood is obvious; sometimes it takes the form of losing interest and pleasure in usual activities. According to the DSM-IV (1998), symptoms of depression are as follows: (A) Depressed mood for most of the day, for more days than not, as indicated either by subjective account or observation by others, for at least 2 years. (B) Presence, while depressed, of two (or more) of the following: (1) poor appetite or overeating (2) insomnia or hypersomnia (3) low energy or fatigue (4) low self-esteem (5) poor concentration or difficulty making decisions (6) feelings of hopelessness (C) The symptoms are not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication) or a general medical condition (e.g., hypothyroidism). (D) The symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. Despite concrete measures of depression such as those outlined in the DSM-IV (1998), it is difficult to diagnose in the elderly, because depression often has a high comorbidity with other medical illnesses (Miller 1997). Commonly, identifying depression in an elderly individual in conjunction with his or her other ailments presents itself as a challenge to medical professionals and caregivers (Miller 1997)."

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