Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gbm5v Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-31T15:10:06.322Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Prognosis of Depression in Old Age

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

R. C. Baldwin  and
D. J. Jolley
R. C. Baldwin*
Affiliation:
Psychogeriatric Medicine (now Consultant Psychogeriatrician, Manchester Royal Infirmary)
D. J. Jolley
Affiliation:
Psychogeriatric Medicine Psychogeriatric Unit, University Hospital of South Manchester, West Didsbury, Manchester, M20 8LR
*
∗ Correspondence
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

The initial features and progress of depressive symptomatology over 42 to 104 months are presented for 100 elderly patients admitted with severe, non-neurotic depressive states; none had experienced a previous hypomanie episode. Sixty per cent either remained well throughout or had further episodes followed by full recovery; only 7% suffered continuous depressive symptoms. Of potential prognostic factors, only male sex and poor physical health, both at presentation and developing subsequently, were associated with poorer outcomes. The view is supported that treatment with well established methods achieves worthwhile and sustained improvement for most patients.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 149 , Issue 5 , November 1986 , pp. 574 - 583
Copyright
Copyright © 1986 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

Anderson, F. W. (1936) Prognosis of the depressions of later life. Journal of Mental Science, 82, 559–588.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Arie, T. (1977) Issues in the psychiatric care of old people. In Care of the Elderly (eds A. N. Exton-Smith & J. Grimley-Evans). New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Benbow, S. M. (1985) Electroconvulsive therapy in psychogeriatric practice. Geriatric Medicine, 15, 19–22.Google Scholar
Feighner, J. P., Robins, E., Guze, S. B., Woodruff, R. A., Winokur, G. & Munoz, R. (1972) Diagnostic criteria for use in psychiatric research. Archives of General Psychiatry, 26, 57–63.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gill, D. & Lambourn, J. (1979) Indications for electric convulsion therapy and its use by senior psychiatrists. British Medical Journal, 279, 1169–1171.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Godber, C. (1983) Depression in old age. British Medical Journal, 237, 758.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hedlund, J. L. & Vœweg, B. W. (1979) The Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression: a comprehensive review. Journal of Operational Psychiatry, 10, 149–165.Google Scholar
Henderson, A. S. & Kay, D. W. K. (1984) The epidemiology of mental disorders in the aged. In Handbook of Studies in Psychiatry and Old Age (eds D. W. K. Kay & G. D. Burrows). Amsterdam: Elsevier.Google Scholar
Jolley, D. J. Smith, P., Billington, L., Ainsworth, D. & Ring, D. (1982) Developing a psychogeriatric service. In Establishing a Geriatric Service (ed. Davis Coakley). London: Croom Helm.Google Scholar
Kantor, S. J. & Glassman, A. H. (1977) Delusional depressions: natural history and response to treatment. British Journal of Psychiatry, 131, 351–360.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kay, D. W. K., Beamish, P. & Roth, M. (1964) Old age mental disorders in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Part 1: a study of prevalence. British Journal of Psychiatry, 110, 146–158.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lewis, A. J. (1934) Melancholia: a historical review. Journal of Mental Science, 80, 277–378.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Millard, P. H. (1983) Depression in old age. British Medical Journal, 287, 375–376.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Murphy, E. (1982) Social origins of depression in old age. British Journal of Psychiatry, 141, 135–142.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Murphy, E. (1983) The prognosis of depression in old age. British Journal of Psychiatry, 142, 111–119.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
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 illnesses in late life: a follow-through study. British Journal of Psychiatry, 121, 393–404 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Post, F. & Shulman, K. (1985) New views on old age affective disorders. In Recent advances in Psychogeriatrics (ed. T. Arie). London: Churchill Livingstone.Google Scholar
Roth, M. (1955) The natural history of mental disorder in old age. Journal of Mental Science, 101, 281–301.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
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.