DELUSIONAL AND PSYCHOTIC DEPRESSION IN LATE-LIFE - CLINICAL RESEARCH NEEDS

Psychotic depression in younger patients has been associated with an i ncreased rate of suicide, refractoriness to somatic treatment, and ove rall poor prognosis. However, the public health and scientific signifi cance of this disorder in older patients has received limited attentio n in the past two decades; the topic was excluded from the 1991 NIH Co nsensus Development Conference on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Depre ssion in Late Life. To address this obvious need in the field, a speci al work-group of recognized experts met in a special NIMH workshop to review and discuss clinical issues and key research questions. This is a report of that workshop's proceedings.