MANAGEMENT OF DEPRESSION IN THE ELDERLY BY GENERAL-PRACTITIONERS .2. ATTITUDES TO AGING AND FACTORS AFFECTING PRACTICE

Although general practitioners (GPs) may be able to identify depressio n in elderly patients many patients do remain untreated. It is possibl e that negative attitudes could influence treatment. This study aims t o investigate GPs' attitudes towards depression in the elderly. A nati onal questionnaire study on the management of depression in the elderl y was carried out. It enquired about attitudes towards treatment and d iagnosis of depression and ageing and depression. Most GPs were confid ent about treating depression but agreed that it was difficult to trea t and said that they would benefit from more information and training. A small proportion of the sample agreed that depression was a natural consequence of ageing and that most people when elderly get depressed . Older GPs were more likely to see depression as more difficult to tr eat and stopped medication sooner after recovery. Female GPs felt less confident in management and expressed more interest in further traini ng although this did not appear to reflect the quality of care. In gen eral GPs did not have negative views about depression and ageing; they did, however, identify a need for more training in the management of depression in the elderly.