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‘Sadly confused’

the detection of depression and dementia on medical wards

South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, Community Team A, Ann Moss Way, Lawes Road, Rotherhithe, London SE16 2TS (tel.: 020 7232 0148; fax: 020 7394 1097)

AIMS AND METHOD

Dementia and depression are common psychiatric diagnoses in older people, and are common reasons for referral to liaison psychiatry services. The present study examined the accuracy of physicians' diagnoses for both disorders in consecutive referrals to a liaison old age psychiatry service.

RESULTS

Positive predictive values for depression and dementia were high, but levels of treatment of depression and documentation of past psychiatric history were both poor. Alcohol misuse and stroke accounted for the commonest accompanying disorders.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

The findings have implications for the encouragement of physicians to treat depression when this is suspected. Educational programmes for this purpose may be useful, incorporating an exploration of attitudes and knowledge of physicians towards depression in older people.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				D. Anderson, H. Cattell, and E. Bentley Nurse-led liaison psychiatry service for older adults: service evaluation Psychiatr. Bull., August 1, 2008; 32(8): 298 - 302. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]