PSYC 3140 Chapter Notes - Chapter 18: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Delusional Disorder, Psychosis
15 Jul 2015
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Like younger adults, older people who are depressed may be helped by cognitive-behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, antidepressant medications, or a combination of these approaches: more than half of older patients with depression improve with these treatments. It is sometimes difficult for elderly people to use antidepressant drugs effectively and safely because the body"s metabolism works differently in later life: moreover, among elderly people, antidepressant drugs have a higher risk of causing some cognitive impairment. Again, all such drugs must be used cautiously with older people. Substance misuse in later life: although alcohol abuse and other forms of substance abuse are significant problems for many older persons, the prevalence of such patterns actually appears to decline after age. Some clinicians suggest that the rise is related to the deficiencies in hearing, social isolation, greater stress, or heightened poverty experienced by many elderly persons.
