Author/Editor		Hilger, Eva; Fischer, Peter
Title		Mental disorders in old age
Type		članek
Source		In: Kogoj A, editor. Celostna obravnava bolnika z demenco. 2. psihogeriatrično srečanje; 2000 nov 17-18; Radenci. Ljubljana: Spominčica - Združenje za pomoč pri demenci,
Publication year		2001
Volume		str. 3-19
Language		eng
Abstract		Mental disorders in old age are frequent nad they are frequently underdiagnosed. Most mental disorders are treatable once detected. Untreated mental disorders strongly impair life quality of patients and care-givers, cost money, promote further disability and burden for the public health system (Table 8). There is a strong and complex interrelationship between somatic illness, mental disorders and social factors in old age, which make geriatic medicine more time-consumpting and more expensive than normal internal medicine. Mental health is of tremendous importance for functional independence and life-quality. Since it is impossible not to have any somatic diseases in old age, it is essenrial to develop strategies to cope with these impairements, which in turn strongly depend on mental, that is on both emotional, and cognitive health (65.) Thus, mental health is the basis of remaining autonomy and life quality in old age. Beside curing a patient, assurement of life-quality of the multimorbid old patients should be the main goal of medical gerontology. Not only intenal medicine, but also a great array of medical disciplines will have to coopeate to reach this objective. In conclusion, there is a need for more education of physicians concerning the common mental disorders in the elderly in order to improve their management.
Descriptors		MENTAL DISORDERS AGED DEPRESSIVE DISORDER ANXIETY DISORDERS DEMENTIA ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE RISK FACTORS DELIRIUM