Depressive illnesses are among the most prevalent mental disorders in adulthood
as well as in the elderly. The EURODEP study found an average point prevalence
of 12.3% for depressive illnesses in nine European centers. The study was
conducted on 13,808 subjects aged 65 years and above using the Geriatric Mental
Scale (GMS) AGECAT, a standardized, fully structured interview. Those affected
were 14.1% of women and 8.6% of men. In the German study center in Munich,
it was determined that 23.6% of the general population were affected [1]. For a
representative random sample of the population in Berlin between the ages of 70
and 100 years, Helmchen et al. [2] report a point prevalence of 9.1% for clinically
relevant depressive disorders, in accordance with the DSM-III-R. In many cases,
it is assumed that residents of elderly people’s homes and nursing homes are
more often affected by depression than the general population. However, studies
are very inconsistent. Indeed, a review article by Rovner and Katz [3]