Late Life Depression: Depression in the Elderly

Three seniors describe their experiences with depression in Late Life Depression: Depression in the Elderly. They relate their own personal experiences with depression including their symptoms, treatment, and results. Three health professionals support their testimonials with additional information about common symptoms of depression, typical treatment modalities, and expected outcomes. The experts include Charles F. Reynolds III, of the Late-Life Depression Center at the University of Pittsburgh, Thomas E Oxman of the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and Lucille C. Karatzas of the Seacoast Mental Health Center in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center produced this half-hour video distributed by Aquarius Health Care Videos.

The program covers basic information regarding the presentation and course of depression in the elderly. The tape emphasizes that depression is not a natural consequence of aging and that depression may present differently in elderly patients due to the increasing frequency of physical illness, cognitive impairment, and experiences with loss and bereavement. The tape discusses the consequences of untreated depression on quality of life and the increased risk of suicide in the elderly. The video concludes by highlighting the high societal worth of seniors and the continuing contribution they can make to their own and other's lives.

Late Life Depression reviews some of the common therapies for treating depression in the elderly. Treatment-related issues covered in this production include a brief mention of pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy and a lengthier discussion of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). The program overemphasizes ECT, given its relatively infrequent use when compared to other treatment modalities. A greater discussion of what to expect from pharmacotherapy (e.g., common adverse effects, onset of symptom remission, duration of therapy) or in psychotherapy would have been useful for a greater number of patients and their caregivers.

The videocassette box states that Depression in the Elderly is “essential for anyone working with, coping with, or helping the elderly.” However, on viewing this production, the intended audience remains unclear. If this production were intended primarily for families and caregivers, more detail regarding how to identify symptoms would be more appropriate. More information about when to seek treatment and what to expect from it would be helpful for a video produced primarily for patients. The material presented in this video seems too basic for an audience of health professionals. However, the tape does provide some basic and accurate information regarding recognizing depression in the elderly, clearly states that in most cases depression is treatable, and gives some information regarding the available treatment modalities. Depression in the Elderly may prompt viewers to seek out additional information from other resources or from a health care provider for themselves or somebody they know who is demonstrating the common signs of depression.