ABSTRACT
Depression in old age has been said to be widespread, common and disabling,1,2 yet the rates of treatment of depression among elderly persons are markedly lower than among younger adults.3 Underdiagnosis and undertreatment of depression in old age have been attributed to a belief, shared by doctors and patients, that the depressions experienced by elderly persons are usually a “normal” consequence of the many physical illnesses and social and economic problems that they endure. Both clinicians and patients may incorrectly attribute depressive symptoms to the ageing process.3
