Mood Syndromes in Aging

Over a quarter of community-dwelling older adults report depressive symptoms, most commonly mild dysphoria, while a smaller subset of patients have major depressive disorder (MDD). Institutionalized patients have higher rates than their community-dwelling peers, with a prevalence rate of 20% MDD and another 20–25% suffering from minor depressive disorder. Approximately half of all older persons diagnosed with MDD have their initial episode after the age of 60 [1].