“How do doctors test for geriatric depression?”
I am a 43 year old female. I want to know how do doctors test for geriatric depression?
6 Answers
By taking history, personal interview, mental status examinations, medical history, to find out the cause of the depression. Can be due to certain medical conditions, can be pure psychiatric symptoms, or both. Then develop a treatment plan.
Depression can be assessed by questionnaire or by an in person exam by a qualified practitioner. If dementia is suspected there are additional exams necessary to rule this out.
It is based on doing a standard interview. There are no blood tests or brain scans that are clinically proven to diagnose depression.
Outstanding question! There are certain symptoms that are seen throughout the lifespan. The major ones the psychopharmacologist users are the vegetative symptoms and signs of depression. This includes a change in energy, appetite, sex drive, sleep, etc. One should always have a zest for life. Importantly, as an individual does get older, other medical issues may be the cause of some sadness and these also must be looked into thoroughly. Finally, understanding the life circumstance of the individual is particularly helpful in finding The ideal therapy intervention best suited for the person. Hope that’s helpful, Lance
https://patient.info/doctor/geriatric-depression-scale-gds
There are various scales available to screen and diagnose depression.
