Abstract
Introduction: It is estimated that more than 13% of individuals aged more than 55 years suffer from depressive symptoms, and more than 2% of the same age group show criteria that meets a diagnosis of major depression.
Aim of work: In this review we will discuss recent evidence and guidelines of diagnosis, management, and treatment of depressive disorders, with focus on the elderly population.
Methods: We did a systematic search for depressive disorder using PubMed and Google Scholar search engines. The terms used in the search were: depressive disorder, depression, management, treatment, diagnosis, antidepressants, psychotherapy.
Conclusions: Depression is associated with poor prognosis and quality of life if left untreated. Therefore, it is essential to properly address and treat depression. Elderly individuals can have different presentations of depression, which requires primary health care providers to be extremely suspicious for depression in this age group. Treatment of mild to moderate depression depends mainly on psychotherapy. On the other hand, antidepressants are considered the first line treatment for severe and major depression. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are the first line treatment of major depression in all age groups. This is due to their high efficacy and relative safety.