The Disease of Depression

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses how geriatric depression has come to the forefront of medical research as a result of the high rate of suicide among the elderly in the United States. The paper discusses the causes and effects of this disorder, noting that the health conditions of elderly people and the loss of a spouse are the most common causes.
The paper explains the components of successful treatment and examines the resistance of the elderly to acknowledge and accept proven treatments. The paper concludes that it is only with future research that this national problem afflicting the elderly can be resolved.

From the Paper:

"It has been recently acknowledged that insomnia is another cause of geriatric depression, often diagnosed as a sleeping disorder instead of a major participant and contributor of depression. These are just a few causes of this dark, lonely medical misconception. As we embark on the theories of depression and the current roles of nurses' interaction with the depressed elderly, the reason for research reform becomes apparent. A few of the problems with the solution is the resistance of the elderly to acknowledge and accept proven treatments. Late-life depression affects about 6.5 million Americans age 65 and older, but only 8% to 10% receive treatment."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Balzer, D. "Depression in the Elderly." New England Journal of Medicine 320 (1989): 164-166.
• DuPage County Health Department. "Shalala Invites the Public's Input in Developing Healthy People 2010." Data and Statistics. 2000. DuPage County Health Department. 29 Apr. 2006 < http://www.dupagehealth.org/health_data/healthy_people.html >.
• Lee, J. "Factors Influencing Nurses' Assessment and Management of Depression Among Acutely Ill Hospitalized Elders." Office of Undergraduate Research. 2001. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 29 Apr. 2006 < http://www.unc.edu/depts/our/2001abstracts/lee.html >.
• Lynch, T. "Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Depressed Older Adults: A Randomized Pilot Study." American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 11 (2003): 33-45.
• Reynolds, C. and Kuptner, D. "Depression and Aging: A Look to the Future." Psychiatric Services 50 (1999): 1167-1172.

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