title: Response to treatment of depression in the old and very old.
abstract: Treatment responses were monitored in 101 depressed patients, ranging in age from 64 to 92 years, hospitalized on a geropsychiatry unit. Forty-six percent of the patients received ECT. Medications were used in the majority of patients. Responses were assessed with both depression inventories (Beck Depression Inventory and Geriatric Depression Scale) and physician-rated global improvement scores. Advanced age was not associated with poor outcome. ECT was the most important variable associated with a good response, regardless of age.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110.
authors.forename: E H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Rubin
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Kinscherf
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Wehrman
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D004565:Electroconvulsive Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents