Physical Illness and Depression

Depression in the elderly physically ill can present a difficult problem of diagnosis. To avoid the increased morbidity and mortality of untreated depression, it is necessary to be aware of the possibility of depression causing somatic symptoms, the physical illness causing depressive symptoms, or both conditions coexisting, and then to treat the depression effectively. Close liaison between psychogeriatric and geriatric teams is thus very important if this vulnerable group is to receive the correct diagnosis and treatment.