Open AccessLate onset depression: A recent update
Author(s) -
Ananya Mahapatra,
Pallavi Sharma,
Shubham Khandelwal
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of mental health and human behaviour/journal of mental health and human behaviour
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2543-1897
pISSN - 0971-8990
DOI - 10.4103/0971-8990.164799
Subject(s) - depression (economics) , psychosocial , etiology , psychology , epidemiology , natural history , population , psychiatry , age of onset , vulnerability (computing) , medicine , disease , pathology , computer security , environmental health , computer science , economics , macroeconomics
Late onset depression has recently emerged as a serious mental health issue in the geriatric population with significant public health implications. It is often challenging to diagnose and treat this entity. Various theories have been postulated to elucidate the etiology of late onset depression, but a unifying hypothesis is lacking. Although the vascular hypothesis is most researched; a complex interaction of multiple vulnerability factors is the current focus of attention. Numerous psychosocial variables have been implicated to play a significant role in predicting the onset and severity of late-life depression. Phenomenological differences have been delineated from depression occurring at a younger age, but the findings are equivocal. A better understanding of the natural trajectory of depression in the elderly is required for early diagnosis and effective treatment. This review attempts to summarize the current status of evidence regarding epidemiology, etiology, clinical features, and treatment options available for late-onset depression