Eighty-six elderly depressed patients were followed up for two years. Twenty-nine (34 percent) displayed minor organic signs (partial disorientation to time and/or partial disorientation to place and/or mild impairment of registration or recent memory). Minor organic signs were associated with a significant reduction in discharge rate two years following admission in patients aged 70 years plus. Among those discharged, minor organic signs were associated with a significant decline in living arrangements two years following admission.
Coincidentally, minor organic signs identified a group of elderly depressives characterized by older age, depressions of late onset, and few precipitating events.
References
1.
CawleyR. H., PostF., WhiteheadA.: Barbiturate tolerance and psychological functioning in elderly depressed patients.Psychol. Med.3: 39, 1973.
2.
KayD. W. K., RothM., HopkinsB.: Affective disorders arising in the senium 1. Their association with organic cerebral degeneration.J. Ment. Sci.101: 302, 1955.
3.
KayD. W. K., NorrisV. and PostF.: Prognosis in psychiatric disorders of the elderly.J. Ment. Sci.102: 129, 1956.
4.
KayD. W. K.: Outcome and cause of death in mental disorders of old age: a long term follow-up of functional and organic psychoses.Acta. Psychiatr. Scand.38: 249, 1962.
5.
KayD. W. K., and BergmanK.: Physical disability and mental health in old age.J. Psychosom. Res.10: 3, 1966.
6.
KayD. W. K., BergmannK., GarsideR. E. and RothM.: A four year follow-up of a random sample of old people originally seen in their own homes. A physical, social and psychiatric enquiry. Delivered at IV Wld. Congr. Psychiat.3, 1668, 1966.
7.
KayD. W. K., WalkA.: Recent Developments in Psychogeriatrics.London, Headley Bros., 1971.
