Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-mkpzs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T21:53:04.107Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Prognosis of Depression in the Elderly

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Philip Meats ,
Mariam Timol  and
David Jolley
Philip Meats*
Affiliation:
Kings Mill Hospital, Nottingham NG17 4JL
Mariam Timol
Affiliation:
Withington Hospital
David Jolley
Affiliation:
Withington Hospital, Manchester
*
∗Correspondence
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Fifty-six consecutively admitted elderly (65 and over) patients with depression were assessed on mental, physical and social states. They were followed up and assessed at home one year later. A group of 24 depressed in-patients aged under 65 years admitted to the same ward during the same period was also assessed. Outcome was different for the two groups, with 68% of the elderly ‘well’ at one year, against 50% of the younger group. The younger group were more likely to have ‘poor’ outcome (41 %) than the elderly (16%). However, there were more deaths than expected, particularly in the elderly. These findings differ from some previous studies, and indicate an excellent prognosis for depression in the elderly. Outcome in younger patients is less good.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 159 , Issue 5 , November 1991 , pp. 659 - 663
Copyright
Copyright © 1991 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Baldwin, R. C. & Jolley, D. J. (1986) Prognosis of depression in old age. British Journal of Psychiatry, 149, 574–583.Google Scholar
Burton, R. (1621) The Anatomy of Melancholy (eds Dell, F. & Jordan-Smith, P. (1927)). New York: Tudor Publishing Company.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carney, M. W. P., Roth, M. & Garside, R. F. (1965) The diagnosis of depressive syndromes and the prediction of ECT response. British Journal of Psychiatry, 111, 659–674.Google Scholar
Feighner, J. P., Robins, E., Guze, S. B., et al (1972) Diagnostic criteria for use in psychiatric research. Archives of General Psychiatry, 26, 57–63.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Godber, C. (1983) Depression in old age. British Medical Journal, 237, 758.Google Scholar
Godber, C., Rosenvinge, H., Wilkinson, D., et al (1987) Depression in old age: prognosis after ECT. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 2, 19–24.Google Scholar
Gordon, W. F. (1981) Elderly depressives: treatment and follow-up. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 26, 110–113.Google Scholar
Hamilton, M. (1960) A rating scale for depression. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, 23, 56–62.Google Scholar
Kiloh, L. G., Andrews, G. & Neilson, M. D. (1988) British Journal of Psychiatry, 153, 752–757.Google Scholar
Lee, A. S. & Murray, R. M. (1988) The long-term outcome of Maudsley depressives. British Journal of Psychiatry, 153, 741–751.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Millard, P. H. (1983) Depression in old age. British Medical Journal, 287, 375–376.Google Scholar
Murphy, E. (1983) Prognosis of depression in old age. British Journal of Psychiatry, 142, 111–119.Google Scholar
Musetti, L., Perugi, G., Soriani, A., et at (1989) Depression before and after age 65: a re-examination. British Journal of Psychiatry, 155, 330–336.Google Scholar
Post, F. (1962) The Significance of Affective Symptoms in Old Age. Maudsley Monograph No. 10. London: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Post, F. (1972) The management and nature of depressive illness in late life: a follow-through study. British Journal of Psychiatry, 121, 393–404.Google Scholar
Robinson, J. R. (1989) The natural history of mental disorder in old age: a long-term study. British Journal of Psychiatry, 154, 783–789.Google Scholar
Wing, J. K., Cooper, J. E. & Sartorius, N. (1974) The Measurement and Classification of Psychiatric Symptoms. London: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.