Anxiety and depression in 100 female geriatric inpatients. A psychopathological study.

50 anxious and 50 depressed female geriatric inpatients aged 70 and above were assessed with a semistructured interview focusing on the patient's experience of her illness and hospital admission and on the doctor-patient relationship. Each interview was completed by psychodynamic evaluations and a clinical assessment. The psychopathological findings suggested the distinction of four groups of patients characterized by different psychological reaction profiles: patients with anxiety reaction only, anxious patients with some depressive reactions, depressive-dependent and depressive-resigned patients. These profiles were related to age: anxiety was more frequent among the younger patients while severe depression (resigned depression) prevailed among the oldest age-group (80 years and above). Sociological, psychological and psychotherapeutic implications are discussed.