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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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Somatization in the elderly
— review | | Author(s) | Bart Sheehan, Sube Banerjee |
| Journal title | International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, vol 14, no 12, December 1999 |
| Pages | pp 1044-1049 |
| Keywords | Depression ; Research Reviews. |
| Annotation | Somatisation is a common medical problem encountered at all levels of medical care. It is strongly associated with use of services and may be difficult to treat. Somatisation in older people has been traditionally seen as a masked presentation of depression. Population studies have shown no consistent increase in somatisation among older people, who may also downplay physical symptoms. Among older depressed people, somatisation is common and may be more common if physical illness is also present. Psychological distress is usually acknowledged, not masked, in older depressed people. Neuroticism, as well as psychiatric illness, may be an important aetiological factor for somatisation in older people. Treatment strategies must attend to underlying psychiatric disorders, but there is a need for studies of treatment of the phenomenon in older people. The results of a literature search are presented and discussed. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-000203206 A |
| Classmark | ENR: 3A:6KC |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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