title: Depression and previous alcoholism in the elderly.
abstract: A prospective study of male in-patients over 55 years old who met Feighner criteria for non-bipolar depression was performed to determine if a previous history of alcoholism significantly influenced treatment or response to treatment. Among 58 subjects with complete follow-up information, the 16 who had a history of alcoholism had a presentation at index which differed from that of the non-alcoholics, and on follow-up they clearly had more chronic illness. This elderly sample with alcoholism resembles 'neurotic-reactive' depressives described in younger samples, and supports a past history of alcoholism as being a risk factor for chronicity of depression on follow-up in the elderly population.
authors.affiliation: University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City.
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Winokur
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Garvey
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Beach
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000523:psychology; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012050:Rehabilitation, Vocational / Q000523:psychology