[Outpatient treatment in geriatric psychiatry]

Diagnosis and treatment in geriatric psychiatry differs from general psychiatry in that respect that several pathogenetic conditions at various levels are present--e.g. from a somatic, psychiatric and social level which therefore have to be diagnosed and treated on a multidimensional level. The therapeutic efforts rely on pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy, sociotherapy, individual and group therapy. The basic somatic condition and the personality have to be considered, requiring more time due to the above mentioned multifactorial pathogenesis.