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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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Recognition and management of depression in late life in general practice
— consensus statement | | Author(s) | C Katona, P Freeling, K Hinchcliffe |
| Journal title | Primary Care Psychiatry, vol 1, 1995 |
| Pages | pp 107-113 |
| Keywords | Depression ; Diagnosis ; Drugs ; Psychiatric treatment ; General practice. |
| Annotation | Depression is common in later life, particularly among those attending their GPs. Predisposing factors include past and family history, physical dysfunction, and experience of loss. Combining regular follow-up and social support with drug and non-drug treatment produces good results with a range of drug and psychological therapies being efficacious. In particular, those presenting with anxiety are likely to respond to treatments for depression. Continuing drug prescription for prophylaxis is important, but can pose difficulties in frail patients. Physical ill-health and early dementia may make diagnosis difficult. Social stigma may make co-operation of patients and carers difficult to obtain. Primary care workers other than GPs will also need to be involved in managing and monitoring the large number of depressed older people. The Defeat Depression Programme is producing educational programmes to improve diagnosis in primary care and acceptance of treatment and diagnosis by the public, as well as to improve the quality of life of those with depressive illness in later life. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-980108250 A |
| Classmark | ENR: LK7: LLD: LP: L5 * |
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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