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Mental Health Disorders In Later Life, Zvi Gellis, Bonnie Kenaley

Bonnie Kenaley

Depression and anxiety disorders are common in older adults. These disorders are associated with impaired functioning, disability, and high service use and costs. Co-occurrence of depression and anxiety is common with chronic diseases. Effective psychological and pharmacological treatments are available. However, too often, depression and anxiety disorders are underdiagnosed or are not optimally treated. This chapter presents an update on the state of knowledge on depression and anxiety disorders in later life, focusing on prevalence, comorbidity, and effective evidence-based treatments.