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Review
. 2018 Mar 29:11:113-120.
doi: 10.2147/IJGM.S154876. eCollection 2018.

Late-life depression: issues for the general practitioner

Axel Van Damme  1 , Tom Declercq  2 , Lieve Lemey  3 , Hannelore Tandt  4 , Mirko Petrovic  5
Affiliations
Review

Late-life depression: issues for the general practitioner

Axel Van Damme et al. Int J Gen Med. .

Abstract

Late-life depression (LLD) is both a prevalent and life-threatening disorder, affecting up to 13.3% of the elderly population. LLD can be difficult to identify because patients mainly consult their general practitioner (GP) for somatic complaints. Moreover, patients may be hesitant to express the problem to their GP. Increased vigilance on the part of the GP can only benefit older people with depression. To recognize the risk of LLD, screening tools are provided in addition to treatment options for LLD. This review aims to provide the GP with guidance in recognizing and treating LLD. It tries to connect mainstream etiologies of LLD (e.g., vascular, inflammation, hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis) with risk factors and current therapies. Therefore, we provide a basis to the GP for decision-making when choosing an appropriate therapy for LLD.

Keywords: elder care; geriatric mental health; geriatric psychiatry; major depressive disorder; psychosomatic.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Stepped care approach to late-life depression, based on the severity of depression and patient preference. Initiate the next step if the patient does not respond to the therapy.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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