Definition Of Late Life Depression

Late life depression is depression occurring in older individuals.

Definition of late life depression. There are many subtypes of depressive illness that are the same in both younger and older adults. The focus in this article is on unipolar depressive disorders. Its clinical presentation is heterogeneous and has some distinctive features from depression in adults. In recent years it has been demonstrated that patients with late life depression present significant abnormalities in several neurobiological cascades.

Although often associated with the stress and physical problems attendant with advancing age depression is not a normal part of the aging process. The term can also include depression that develops in an older person who suffered from the illness earlier in life.