Ko S M, Kua E H, Chow M H
Department of Psychological Medicine, National University Hospital, Singapore.
Singapore Med J. 1997 Oct;38(10):439-41.
To compare the presentation and outcome of depression between young and elderly patients.
The clinical presentation, treatment and outcome of 47 young patients (21 to 64 years) were compared with 58 elderly (65 years and older) patients admitted to a general hospital psychiatric ward for the treatment of depressive disorders (based on ICD-10).
There was no significant difference between the sexes in each age group. The majority of the elderly were either widowed (36%) or married (53%) while 45% of the young were single and 51% married. Seventy per cent of the elderly had retired while 64% of the young were in full-time employment. Most patients lived with their families (87% young and 96% elderly). All but one elderly suffered at least one physical disorder with two-thirds having two or more physical disorders; this contrasts greatly to young patients who were physically healthier (p < 0.001).
In clinical presentation and symptomatology, the young patients had significantly more suicide ideation (p < 0.003) and psychomotor retardation (p < 0.001) but there was no difference in suicidal attempt, delusion, hallucination or agitation. More young patients (36%) had a past psychiatric illness (often depressive disorders) than elderly patients (8%) (p < 0.001), more elderly patients (88%) were treated with antidepressants than the young patients (62%) (p < 0.002). At one year follow-up, more elderly patients (46%) recovered compared with the young patients (23%) (p < 0.05).
There were some differences in the symptomatology of depression between young and elderly patients, but the prognosis was better for elderly patients.
比较年轻患者与老年患者抑郁症的表现及预后。
将47名年轻患者（21至64岁）与58名老年患者（65岁及以上）的临床表现、治疗及预后进行比较，这些患者因抑郁症（基于ICD - 10）入住综合医院精神科病房接受治疗。
各年龄组中性别间无显著差异。大多数老年患者丧偶（36%）或已婚（53%），而年轻患者中45%为单身，51%已婚。70%的老年患者已退休，而64%的年轻患者为全职工作。大多数患者与家人同住（年轻患者为87%，老年患者为96%）。除一名老年患者外，所有老年患者至少患有一种躯体疾病，三分之二的老年患者患有两种或更多种躯体疾病；这与身体更健康的年轻患者形成了极大反差（p < 0.001）。
在临床表现和症状方面，年轻患者有明显更多的自杀观念（p < 0.003）和精神运动迟缓（p < 0.001），但在自杀未遂、妄想、幻觉或激越方面无差异。有过精神疾病史（通常为抑郁症）的年轻患者（36%）多于老年患者（8%）（p < 0.001），接受抗抑郁药治疗的老年患者（88%）多于年轻患者（62%）（p < 0.002）。在一年的随访中，康复的老年患者（46%）多于年轻患者（23%）（p < 0.05）。
年轻患者与老年患者在抑郁症症状方面存在一些差异，但老年患者的预后更好。
