Geriatric depression is a depressive disorder occurring in older adults, characterised by persistent low mood, loss of interest or pleasure, and associated cognitive, somatic, and functional disturbances that impair quality of life. It is among the most common mental-health conditions in later life, yet it is freque…
Geriatric depression is a depressive disorder occurring in older adults, characterised by persistent low mood, loss of interest or pleasure, and associated cognitive, somatic, and functional disturbances that impair quality of life. It is among the most common mental-health conditions in later life, yet it is frequently underrecognised because its presentation can differ from that in younger people, with prominent somatic complaints, cognitive slowing, and overlap with medical illness and dementia. Its development is multifactorial, influenced by neurobiological change, cerebrovascular and chronic disease, declining health and disability, bereavement, and social isolation, and it interacts bidirectionally with cognitive impairment, cardiovascular risk, and frailty. Because depression in older adults heightens disability, worsens medical outcomes, and elevates suicide risk, accurate assessment and management are essential, drawing on behavioural, psychological, cognitive, and pharmacological interventions tailored to the older patient. The peer-reviewed research collected under this topic addresses behavioural management of depression in dementia, cognitive and aerobic training in ageing, the association of depression with dementia and with cardiovascular risk in older people, suicide-prevention programmes, and frailty and cognitive factors, reflecting the field's focus on recognising and treating depression within the medical, cognitive, and social complexity of later life.
12 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.
The 12 articles above have been cited 53 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.
A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Geriatric Depression, linking to each citing work.