title: Community psychiatric nursing and depression in elderly people.
abstract: This paper invites community psychiatric nurses (CPNs) working with the elderly to examine their involvement with elderly people who are depressed. It does this by examining a selection of the more recent literature on the topic of depression in the elderly and discusses how this might inform and guide the CPN in his/her practice with this client group. Areas from within the literature which are examined in this paper are: the prevalence of depression in the elderly; problems of underdetection and undertreatment; classification; screening instruments; social factors in causation; prognosis following treatment; and psychological therapy. The literature is shown to have much to offer in aspects of CPN role such as: assessment and planning of care, including psychological therapy; liaison with, and education of, other professionals; screening; and primary prevention. The nursing literature of this CPN specialism, where it relates to depression, is also examined. Although developments in psychiatric services specifically for the elderly were mainly as a response to the illnesses causing dementia, this paper emphasizes that depression is the more common disorder in the elderly. It is suggested therefore that a CPN service should ensure that it is significantly orientated to the needs of this client group.
authors.affiliation: North Derbyshire Health Authority, Chesterfield, England.
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Hughes
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003152:Community Health Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D003376:Counseling; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000451:nursing* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends