Study: Depression can be treated in seniors

Successful treatment of depression in frail older people may help slow their physical decline, which could help keep them living independently as long as possible, a new study says. The findings suggest that doctors more aggressively identify and treat seniors with depression, an illness that puts people, especially the elderly, at risk of suicide. Many doctors mistakenly believe that treatment doesn’t help older people suffering from depression.

Not so, says Christopher Callahan, a geriatric researcher at the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis. Depression can be harder to treat in seniors, but this study and others suggest that treatment does work for many people. And when the fog of depression lifts, they find they’re better able to perform routine but crucial tasks.

Dr. John Grohol is the CEO and founder of Psych Central. He is an author, researcher and expert in mental health online, and has been writing about online behavior, mental health and psychology issues -- as well as the intersection of technology and human behavior -- since 1992. Dr. Grohol sits on the editorial board of the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking and is a founding board member and treasurer of the Society for Participatory Medicine.

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    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 28 Mar 2005
    Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.