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Many of the usual symptoms of depression may be present in the elderly. See: Depression - major for more details.
Depression in the elderly may be hard to detect. Common symptoms such as fatigue, appetite loss, and trouble sleeping can be part of the aging process or a physical illness. As a result, early depression may be ignored, or confused with other conditions that are common in the elderly.
Clues to depression in the elderly may include:
A discussion of your symptoms, physical exam, and blood and urine tests will help determine if a physical illness is causing the depression.
Sometimes your primary care doctor will send you to an expert in depression, such as a psychiatrist, to help with diagnosis and treatment. This may be especially useful for telling the difference between depression and normal grieving, which occurs more often in this age group.
Cassano P, Fava M. Mood disorders: major depressive disorder and dysthymic disorder. In: Stern TA, Rosenbaum JF, Fava M, Biederman J, Rauch SL, eds. Massachusetts General Hospital Comprehensive Clinical Psychiatry. 1st ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier;2008:chap 29.
Unutzer J. Clinical practice: late-life depression. N Engl J Med. 2007;357:2269-2276.
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