ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: DEPRESSION THROUGH THE STAGES OF ADULTHOOD As people age, they become even more heterogeneous as a group than when younger. Each individual’s differing life experiences, social connections, and medical issues are superimposed on already unique personality traits and abilities. Similarly, the clinical presentations of depression can become more heterogeneous in later life. Our most widely used diagnostic system, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TRTM) (American Psychiatric Association, 2000), is based on categorization of clusters of co-occurring symptoms derived from empirical data obtained predominantly in younger populations. In some cases, therefore, it fails to capture the more subtle and varied manifestations of depression in the elderly, resulting in failure of clinicians to diagnose and treat this condition.
