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Depression and Previous Alcoholism in the Elderly

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Brian L. Cook ,
George Winokur ,
Michael J. Garvey  and
Vickie Beach
Brian L. Cook*
Affiliation:
University of Iowa College of Medicine and Staff Psychiatrist, Iowa City VAMC, Iowa
George Winokur
Affiliation:
University of Iowa College of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry
Michael J. Garvey
Affiliation:
University of Iowa College of Medicine and Chief, Psychiatry Service, Iowa City VAMC, Iowa City, Iowa
Vickie Beach
Affiliation:
Iowa City VAMC, Iowa City, Iowa
*
∗Department of Psychiatry (116A), VA Medical Center, Iowa City, Iowa 52240, USA
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Abstract

A prospective study of male in-patients over 55 years old who met Feighner criteria for non-bipolar depression was performed to determine if a previous history of alcoholism significantly influenced treatment or response to treatment. Among 58 subjects with complete follow-up information, the 16 who had a history of alcoholism had a presentation at index which differed from that of the non-alcoholics, and on follow-up they clearly had more chronic illness. This elderly sample with alcoholism resembles ‘neurotic-reactive’ depressives described in younger samples, and supports a past history of alcoholism as being a risk factor for chronicity of depression on follow-up in the elderly population.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 158 , Issue 1 , January 1991 , pp. 72 - 75
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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