[The aging of the population and late-life depression--implications for the medical sciences and presentation of one therapeutic modality].
OBJECTIVE
This short article attempts to describe and review one of the most significant demographic phenomena in recent and upcoming decades namely the aging of the population, and discuss some of its implications for public health policies in Israel. The absolute and relative growth of the elderly proportion in the population poses a challenge in many respects, one aspect of which is in the field of mental health. The number one psychiatric problem in later life is late-life depression.


CONCLUSIONS
Following a clinical and epidemiological review of late-life depression, a review of one specific treatment modality is presented - partial psychiatric hospitalization. This discussion is timely in light of the upcoming challenge of managed care in Israel's public mental health system.
Soref
Erez
E
Israel College of the Bible. erez.soref@israelcollege.com
D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D049671:History, 18th Century; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged