llustrates that the patient may have exhibited symptoms of depression, but those symptoms were attributed to another health problem leading to the diagnosis of depression being overlooked (September 1993). Another way to diagnose a patient is by having the patient complete the GDS, or Geriatric Depression Scale once he or she had been treated for the primary illness. This is a 30-question survey of things happening to a patient, both physically and mentally. These results are then analyzed using the Geriatric Mental Status Schedule (GMSS) on a computer. The GMSS compares psychiatric symptoms in stage 1 to organic disorders in stage 2. Preferences are given to organic disorders in stage 2 because it is believed that these are the primary causes. In GMSS stage 1 the patient must score a severity level of 3 (out of 5) to be classified as syndromal depression. In the experiment conducted by Jackson and Baldwin 36% of the sample was classified as having syndromal depression. This sample was made up of elderly medically ill hospital inpatients. The selection appears to reflect the general population fairly well, as it is believed that between 9% and 45% of the medically ill elderly experience depression (September 1993). There are many ways to go abouttreating depression in the elderly. According to American Family Physician(April 1996), "there are 7 guidelines to follow: 1) corrects any underlying illness; 2) avoid, if possible, prescribing medications that may cause of exacerbate depression; 3) decrease isolation due to sensory deprivation; 4) increase stimulation; 5) consider psychotherapy; 6) consider psychiatric referral for severe depression, and 7) consider the use of antidepressants."Cognitive therapy has been used successfully to treat depression in young and middle aged individuals. It is this success that has brought on the growing interest in the results of cognitive therapy on elderly depressed patients. In addition to the succes...
