The prevalence of depression in the ...

The prevalence of depression in the population of older age groups is, according to different researchers, from 9 to 30%. It is important that the light and moderate depressive disorders occur almost 10 times more frequently than severe depression requiring hospitalization in the geriatric ward of psychiatric hospitals. Later age is regarded as a peak in the frequency of depressive disorders in patients somatic practices. This figure varies among different authors, from 15 to 75%, svideteltvuya a significant accumulation of late-life depression among patients of general practitioners. It is known that elderly people are especially rarely use psychiatric help, not only because they themselves avoid visits to such specialists, "until the last minute" do not go to a psychiatrist. This is often due in the widely "eydzhiizma" in the views of health professionals who routinely refer to manifestations of mental symptoms or irreversible age-related changes, or somatic diseases. It is clear that in this case remain unrecognized is not heavy form of late-life depression may be the most kurabelnye and prognostically favorable. Negative consequences nedovyyavleniya depression in the elderly and the elderly are as follows: - increased risk of suicide - weighting of the manifestations of depression - chronification state, the increase in the need for prolonged inpatient care - the quality of life of patients themselves and members of their immediate environment - to reduce the opportunities for social adaptation in everyday life - the negative impact of depressive mood on the manifestations of physical illness - the restriction of possibilities of therapy of somatic diseases due to low compliance of elderly depressed patients (non-diet regimen of drugs, refusal of treatment, sometimes suicidal motives) - reduced life expectancy of depressive patients with myocardial infarction, coronary heart disease and other diseases. With the notable exception of depressive patients from the contingent of elderly patients clinics and somatic hospitals are not registered in a mental hospital and does not usually come to the attention psychiatrist, although their complaints and overall there are signs, orienting doctors to identify depression. In this case, are quite applicable general criteria for depressive disorder (ICD-10). The main symptoms must occur: - persistent depressed mood (every day and most of the day, at least 2 weeks) - loss of ability to enjoy, be interested in something, to experience pleasure (anhedonia) - fatigue and decreased energy. Additional symptoms of depression include: - low self-esteem, a weakening of confidence - samoupreki, self-deprecation - excessive or inappropriate guilt; - the difficulty of concentration, focus, doubt, vacillation, indecision - recurrent thoughts of death, unwillingness to live, suicidal thoughts and intentions - the objective signs of psychomotor retardation or agitation (agitation) - sleep disturbance and appetite.