Screening for depression in seniors

Depression in the elderly is a common psychiatric condition that is largely under-diagnosed. It has a major impact on their quality of life, sometimes leading to institutionalization and loss of autonomy. It is associated with excess mortality, chronicity, high suicidal risk and poor therapeutic compliance. The main objective of our work was to screen for depression in SA patients, and to assess the link between depression, therapeutic compliance and quality of life. This study showed that the severity of depression has a direct negative effect on adherence to treatment, corresponding to voluntary failure to take prescribed medication, but also a deleterious effect on quality of life. Detecting depression in an SA patient is therefore a major challenge for any physician involved in the care of such patients.