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Depressed Elderly Need Ongoing Care
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Page: << Prev | 1 | 2 | 3 He said the findings won't come as a total surprise to those who care for the elderly. "Many psychiatrists have already been treating their elderly patients longer," he said, "because clinically, anecdotally, we've seen exactly what this study reports -- that the risk of recurrence is very, very high."
Just why the elderly are more vulnerable than younger patients to relapse remains a mystery, the experts said. And Reynolds stressed that psychotherapy and other non-medical interventions -- such as exercise and an improved social life -- may still have a vital role to play in battling depression at any age.
The Pittsburgh expert also stressed that, overall, the news from the study is "really good," given the effectiveness of antidepressant medications.
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"Treatment works, not only to get people well, but to keep them well," he said.
More information
For more on depression and the elderly, visit the U.S. National Institute on Aging (www.niapublications.org ).
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Copyright © 2006 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.
Last updated 3/15/2006
| | • | BipolarConnect.com - Information on bipolar disorder: signs and symptoms, mental health, risks, treatments and other information on bipolar disorder. | | • | MyDepressionConnection.com - Learn about the types of depression and their signs, depression in teens, children, and elderly, treating depression, and depression drugs. Get depression help from blogs and depression support forums. |
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SOURCES: Charles F. Reynolds III, M.D., professor, geriatric psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; Burton Reifler, M.D., M.P.H., professor, psychiatry, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, N.C.; March 16, 2006, New England Journal of Medicine
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