Anesthetic Management for ECT

Depression in the elderly is a growing public health problem. Depression affects more than 6.5 million of the 35 million Americans aged 65 years or older. Depression in the older person can have significant impact including loss of function, social isolation, and even death; 20 % of all suicides occur in individuals over the age of 65 years. Older patients with primary depression have frequently experienced episodes of the illness during much of their lives. However, late-life depressive syndromes also arise secondary to medical and neurological disorders common to elderly patients. Unfortunately depression in elderly people can go undiagnosed and untreated because it is thought to be a normal part of aging or an “accepted” sign of chronic illness.