ABSTRACT
Depression is the most common mental health problem experienced by older women. Although everyone may feel sad or lonely at times, depressive illness in later life is qualitatively and quantitatively different. True depression is a serious and disabling condition that can affect every aspect of a person’s functioning, leading to personal and family distress, exacerbation of physical and cognitive disorders, greater use of health and social care resources, and increased mortality from both natural causes and suicide.
