Depressive Illness in the Elderly Patient

Abstract

Severe, functional, reversible psychiatric illnesses occur in the elderly, which are independent of underlying organic brain disease. Of these functional disorders, depressive illness is the most common.

No general rules for treatment can be made; each patient must be assessed individually. For the severely depressed patients, electroconvulsive therapy (E.C.T.) is the safest treatment; for the mild to moderately ill patients, antidepressants are effective. E.C.T. and antidepressants can be used together but, in general, it is wiser to use one treatment at a time.