Importance of interdisciplinary perspective in recognizing and treating depression.

Depression in older people is an important clinical and public health problem that is commonly overlooked by health care providers. As people age, social support systems may be lost due to the death of significant others, retirement, cognitive and physical health problems, and residence relocation. With these changing circumstances, health care professionals expect older clients to show changing activity levels and reduced resilience and may miss the symptoms of depression. As a result, many older people find themselves having to manage a set of problems that could otherwise be easily treated.