Late life affective disorders

Summary ife mood disorders are subject to many misconceptions. In this paper, misconceptions about the symptomatology, frequency and treatment of late life depression are reviewed. If late life depression is not complicated by comorbid physical illness or dementing illness, their symptoms are similar to depression in mid-life. When control factors are accounted for, late life depression is not more frequent than depression in mid-life. Ltae life depression which is uncomplicated responds well to modern pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy.