J Geriatr Psych Neur
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J Geriatr Psych Neur · Jan 2002
ReviewComplexity in late-life depression: impact of confounding factors on diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes.
Late-life depression is a heterogeneous syndrome. Although depression in elderly patients is highly treatable, a number of factors or confounds create complexity in its overall management. ⋯ Outcomes and services research indicate that these factors, particularly medical illness, affect whether late-life depression is appropriately detected, diagnosed, and treated. Attention to such factors must be included in an agenda for mental health services research, with emphasis on the delivery of effective treatment to elderly patients with depression and improved outcomes in clinical settings.