Geriatric depression: a survey of nurses' knowledge and assessment practices

A sample of 149 registered nurses were surveyed to determine their knowledge of the symptoms of depression in the elderly and their assessment practices. Respondents were able to identify not only the traditionally associated symptoms but also two other behaviors, irritability and blaming others, which are not usually designated by other health care providers as associated with geriatric depression. These additional observations may reflect nurses' providing extensive physical as well as verbal care over much longer time periods for patients in inpatient and home settings than do other professionals. Recent findings in nursing research support the presence of these other behaviors as symptoms of depression. An additional finding revealed that nurses were not assessing their patients for depression even though they had a knowledge base of the symptoms.