title: Late-life delusional depression.
abstract: A study of 161 consecutively admitted elderly major depressives with a mean age of 71.7 +/- 6.6 revealed that 72 patients (45%) were delusional. Delusional depressives were significantly older than nondelusionals at onset (62.4 +/- 15.5 + 17.2), but were of comparable age at admission. Utilizing the median age of onset (60) as a cut-off, a sex difference was identified: an association between lateness of onset and delusions was only apparent in women. The presence of a concurrent medical or neurologic disorder or hearing deficit did not increase the association. The importance of investigating samples of elderly patients to identify age effects that only occur in late-life is emphasized.
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D003702:Delusions / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012306:Risk; D012737:Sex Factors