Late-life depression

cover image

Where to find it

Davis Library (8th floor)

Call Number
RC537.5 .L38 2004
Status
Available

Summary

We live in an aging world. Illnesses that are prevalent and cause significant morbidity and mortality in older people will consume an increasing share of health care resources. One such illness is depression. This illness has a particularly devastating impact in the elderly because it is often undiagnosed or inadequately treated. Depression not only has a profound impact on quality of life but it is associated with an increased risk of mortality from suicide and vascular disease. In fact for every medical illness studied, e.g. heart disease, diabetes, cancer, individuals who are depressed have a worse prognosis. Research has illuminated the physiological and behavioral effects of depression that accounts for these poor outcomes. The deleterious relationship between depression and other illnesses has changed the concept of late-life depression from a "psychiatric disorder" that is diagnosed and treated by a psychiatrist to a common and serious disorder that is the responsibility of all physicians who care for patients over the age of 60.
This is the first volume devoted to the epidemiology, phenomenology, psychobiology, treatment and consequences of late-life depression. Although much has been written about depressive disorders, the focus has been primarily on the illness as experienced in younger adults. The effects of aging on the brain, the physiological and behavioral consequences of recurrent depression, and the impact of other diseases common in the elderly, make late-life depression a distinct entity. There is a compelling need for a separate research program, specialized treatments, and a book dedicated to this disorder. This book will be invaluable to psychiatrists, gerontologists, clinical psychologists, social workers, students, trainees, and others who care for individuals over the age of sixty.

Contents

  • Contributors p. xvii
  • Introduction p. xxi
  • Part I Epidemiology and the Burden of Illness
  • 1. The Epidemiology of Depressive Disorders in Late Life p. 3 Dan G. Blazer
  • 2. The Social and Financial Burden of Late-Life Depression to Society and Individuals p. 12 Barry D. Lebowitz and Jason T. Olin
  • Part II The Phenomenology and Differential Diagnosis of Late-Life Mood Disorders
  • 3. Unipolar Depression p. 21 George S. Alexopoulos and William Apfeldorf
  • 4. Bipolar Disorders p. 34 Robert C. Young
  • 5. Dysthymic Disorder in the Elderly p. 49 D.P. Devanand
  • 6. Nonmajor Clinically Significant Depression in the Elderly p. 64 Anand Kumar and Helen Lavretsky and Virginia Elderkin-Thompson
  • 7. Mixed Cognitive and Depressive Syndromes p. 81 Helen Lavretsky and Gary W. Small
  • 8. Suicide p. 95 Yeates Conwell
  • 9. Bereavement and Depression p. 107 Paula J. Clayton
  • Part III The Psychobiology of Late-Life Depression
  • 10. Neuropsychological Assessment of Late-Life Depression p. 117 Wilfred G. Van Gorp and James C. Root and Harold A. Sackeim
  • 11. Structural and Functional Brain Imaging in Late-Life Depression p. 129 Harold A. Sackeim
  • 12. Late-Life Depression and the Vascular Hypothesis p. 148 K. Ranga R. Krishnan
  • 13. Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Activity in Mood and Cognition in the Elderly: Implications for Symptoms and Outcomes p. 157 Jennifer Keller and Theresa M. Buckley and Alan F. Schatzberg
  • 14. The Neuroendocrinology of Aging p. 167 Stuart N. Seidman
  • Part IV Treatment
  • 15. Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics in Late Life p. 185 Bruce G. Pollock
  • 16. Antidepressant Medication for the Treatment of Late-Life Depression p. 192 Steven P. Roose and Harold A. Sackeim
  • 17. Antidepressant Side Effects p. 203 Carl Salzman
  • 18. Mood Stabilizers p. 211 Charles L. Bowden
  • 19. Stimulants p. 222 J. Craig Nelson
  • 20. Antipsychotics p. 232 Christian R. Dolder and Jonathan P. Lacro and Dilip V. Jeste
  • 21. Electroconvulsive Therapy in Late-Life Depression p. 241 Harold A. Sackeim
  • 22. Pharmacological Treatment of Depression in Alzheimer's Disease p. 279 John L. Beyer and P. Murali Doraiswamy
  • 23. Psychotherapy in Old-Age Depression: Progress and Challenges p. 287 Charles F. Reynolds III and Patricia A. Arean and Thomas R. Lynch and Ellen Frank
  • 24. Treatment of Depression in Residential Settings p. 299 Ira R. Katz and Joel Streim
  • Part V Depression Co-Morbid with Other Illnesses
  • 25. Depression Co-Morbid with Ischemic Heart Disease p. 311 Steven P. Roose and Alexander H. Glassman
  • 26. Vascular Disease and Late-Life Depression: Stroke p. 321 Robert G. Robinson
  • 27. Substance Abuse Co-Morbidity p. 337 David W. Oslin
  • 28. Basal Ganglia Disease and Depression p. 348 Anjan Chatterjee and Karen Marder
  • 29. Major Depressive Disorder in Alzheimer's Disease p. 361 George S. Zubenko
  • Epilogue p. 370
  • Index p. 375

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