Depression in older people: a point to remember in all specialties

Depression is a common disorder in older people. It is usually undiagnosed in elder patients due to atypical symptoms, masked depressive state, mixed with agitation, psychotic delusions and worsening of physical symptoms already present or multiple pains in extremities. It is a very common associated comorbidity with patients of all disciplines--as in post CVA state or postmyocardial infarction, postoperative state, posthysterectomy or in recovery state of various medical disorders, even in a viral influenza, or in a metabolic medical disorder like diabetes mellitus. Author has studied and analysed 120 patients in different wards of Midnapore Medical College & Hospital and some others usually referred by other physicians at OPD and have found high incidence of depression and a marked improvement of symptoms after a short period of treatment.