How does depression in late life differ from depression in other age groups?
Seniors are much more likely to go through life changes that cause feelings of sadness, such as the death of a spouse or a chronic illness. Sadness is normal, but if the sadness persists and is accompanied by other symptoms of depression, especially impairment in everyday functions and thoughts of suicide, the person should seek treatment. Seniors with untreated depression are more likely to die, either from suicide or the worsening of other medical conditions. They also are less likely to recover when injured and are more likely to be disabled. What is the standard treatment for late-life depression? Although there is not a gold-standard treatment for late-life depression, it was commonly thought that six to 12 months of antidepressant therapy and psychotherapy was a sufficient course of treatment for depression in people age 60 and older. A study by Dr. Reynolds and colleagues published in the January 6, 1999 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that
