Detecting depression just as important in the elderly
ACP Internist, February 2022
Diagnosing and treating depression among elderly patients can pose challenges for internists. “What is unique about depression in the elderly is that many times the presenting concerns to the providers tend to be more of somatic and physical complaints and related to their multiple chronic conditions,” said Mukaila A. Raji, MD, FACP, distinguished professor of geriatrics at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. “If we don't take care of the mind—the thinking and the feeling—we cannot get the patient optimally tuned with respect to congestive heart failure, COPD and other chronic conditions,” he said.