The CPN and depression in elderly people living in the community

  • Anna Waterreus
Chapter

Abstract

Depression is the most common psychiatric condition in elderly people; it is also the one which most often goes unrecognized and untreated. Prevalence rates of depression in elderly people living in the community range from 1% (Weissman, Myers, Tischler et al. 1985) to 18% (Romaniuk, McAuley and Arling, 1983), with Livingston, Hawkins, Graham et al. (1990) finding a rate of 15.9% in Gospel Oak, London, where the study to be outlined was undertaken. The use of differing interview schedules, definitions of ‘caseness’ and populations sampled are possible explanations for this wide variation in figures. When comparable populations are interviewed using standardized schedules which define caseness, cross study variation is diminished. For example, the United States/UK cross national community elderly study using the standard comprehensive assessment and referral evaluation (short-CARE) found a similar prevalence rate of approximately 13% in elderly people in New York and Greater London (Gurland, Copeland, Kuriansky et al., 1983).

Keywords

Elderly People Case Management Referral Evaluation Community Psychiatry Electoral Ward 
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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 1992

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  • Anna Waterreus

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