The prevalence of depression in an acute geriatric medical assessment unit

Abstract

Abstract One hundred and eleven patients admitted to an acute medical geriatric assessment unit were screened for depression using the Geriatric Depression Scale questionnaire. All patients with high scores were further assessed by a consultant psychiatrist in a semistructured interview. Of the patients screened, 23.4% had depression of a clinically significant degree and 13.5% were judged to need specific antidepressant medication. 10.8% of the population had depressive illness superimposed on organic brain disease.