Singh Ranbir, Mazi-Kotwal Nadeem, Thalitaya Madhusudan Deepak
East London NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
Psychiatr Danub. 2015 Sep;27 Suppl 1:S231-4.
Depression is a major contributor to healthcare costs and is projected to be the leading cause of disease burden in middle and higher income countries by the year 2030. Depression in later life is associated with disability, increased mortality, and poorer outcomes from physical illness. Its prevalence remains high throughout lifetime, with almost 14% of older adults living in the community estimated to have clinically relevant symptoms of depression worldwide.
Recognizing depression in the elderly is not always easy. Medical illnesses are a common trigger for depression.
Most depressed people welcome care, concern and support, but they may be frightened and may resist help. The treatment of depression demands patience and perseverance for the patient and physician. Sometimes several different treatments must be tried before full recovery. Each person has individual biological and psychological characteristics that require individualized care.
The prognosis for recovery is equal in young and old patients, although remission may take longer to achieve in older patients.
Depression is a highly treatable medical condition and is not a normal part of growing older. Therefore, it is crucial to understand and recognize the symptoms of the illness in the primary care.
抑郁症是医疗成本的主要促成因素，预计到2030年将成为中高收入国家疾病负担的主要原因。晚年抑郁症与残疾、死亡率增加以及身体疾病的不良预后相关。其患病率在一生中都居高不下，据估计，全球近14%生活在社区中的老年人有临床相关的抑郁症状。
在老年人中识别抑郁症并不总是容易的。内科疾病是抑郁症的常见诱因。
大多数抑郁症患者欢迎关怀、关心和支持，但他们可能会感到害怕并抗拒帮助。抑郁症的治疗需要患者和医生都有耐心和毅力。有时在完全康复之前必须尝试几种不同的治疗方法。每个人都有个体的生物学和心理特征，需要个性化的护理。
年轻患者和老年患者康复的预后相同，尽管老年患者可能需要更长时间才能缓解。
抑郁症是一种高度可治疗的疾病，并非衰老的正常组成部分。因此，在初级保健中了解和识别该疾病的症状至关重要。
