. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2016 Dec 1.

Published in final edited form as: Aging Ment Health. 2015 Aug 27;20(12):1230–1242. doi: 10.1080/13607863.2015.1078278

Table 2.

Summary of the literature on older adults: distinctive DSM criteria for MDD and additional possible diagnostic criteria.

	Affective and cognitive	Somatic
DSM criteria distinctive for older adults	• Anhedonia	• Sleep disturbances
	• Concentration difficulties	• Psychomotor retardation/agitation
		• Fatigue/loss of energy
Possible alternative criteria	• Irritability	• Hypochondriasis
	• Social withdrawal	• GI symptoms
	• Loneliness	• General somatic symptoms
	• Loss of purpose in life
	• ‘Having nothing to do’
	• Memory disturbances
	• Psychic anxiety (i.e., tension, worry, apprehension)

Note: DSM criteria listed are those that appear to be the most valid for diagnosing depression in older adults.