Geriatric Psychiatry

Question 1

What percentage of people over the age of 60 have a psychiatric disorder?

Answer 1

20%

Question 2

What is the suicide rare of elderly (over age 85) white men?

Answer 2

Five times the national average

Question 3

What are common diagnoses in elderly patients?

Answer 3

Mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and neurocognitive disorders

Many mental disorders in this population remain underreported

Question 4

Factors associated w/ normal aging

Answer 4

Decreased brain weight / enlarged ventricles and sulci

Decreased muscle mass / increased fat

Impaired vision and hearing

Minor forgetfulness (also called age-associated memory impairment or benign senescent forgetfulness)

Question 5

What is major depression?

Answer 5

Common mental disorder in geriatric population

Depressive symptoms present in 5-15% of elderly

Associated w/ poor physical health:

• Post-MI patients who develop depression have 4x increased rate of death
• Stroke patients who develop depression have >3x increased rate pf death during the 10 years following their stroke
• New admits to nursing homes suffering from depression have an increased 1-year mortality rate

Question 6

When should you work up an elderly patient for major depression?

Answer 6

When he/she presents w/ memory loss or nonspecific physical complaints

Question 7

What is pseudodementia?

Answer 7

Term for mistaking symptoms of major depression in elderly (e.g. memory and cognitive functioning) for major neurocognitive disorder

It is the presence o fapparent co