Can Fam Physician. 1989 Mar;35:657-61.
Severe depression is one of the most prevalent health problems of the elderly. Approximately 10% to 20% of the elderly population is affected. Unfortunately, major depression frequently presents in atypical forms among the elderly. Frequent presentations include masked depression, where multiple somatic complaints are prominent; pseudodementia, in which the depressed elderly person presents as a primary dementia; and delusional depression, in which paranoid delusions are prominent. Diagnosis is complicated by a multiplicity of other physical problems and polypharmacy for medical disorders. If adequately diagnosed, major depression can generally be treated successfully with antidepressants. Caution must be exercised in the use of antidepressants, as their sideeffects are in general more noxious in the elderly.
严重的抑郁症是老年人最常见的健康问题之一。大约有 10%至 20%的老年人群受到影响。不幸的是，老年人中经常出现非典型的重度抑郁症。常见的表现形式包括：以多种躯体主诉为突出表现的隐匿性抑郁症；以原发性痴呆为表现的假性痴呆；以及以偏执妄想为突出表现的妄想性抑郁症。由于多种其他身体问题和多种药物治疗医疗疾病，诊断变得复杂。如果得到充分诊断，一般可以用抗抑郁药成功治疗重度抑郁症。在使用抗抑郁药时必须谨慎，因为它们的副作用在老年人中通常更为有害。
