[Psychiatric disorders in elderly patients with physical problems. Critical review of the recent literature]

The authors review some studies of the recent psychiatric literature on the elderly medically ill. The large variability in setting, screening instruments, and diagnostic criteria makes comparison of results somehow difficult and probably accounts for the differences in prevalence rates. We also outline methodological issues relating to the standardization of screening instruments and to special features ("pseudodementia", "masked" depression) of psychiatric disorders in old age.