Medical comorbidity and mental disorders in older adults

Comorbidity is a common characteristic of mental illness in all age groups. In younger persons, however, the comorbidity is often a manifestation of s ubstance abuse or personality disorder complicating another major mental il lness. In older adults comorbidity is most often characterized by concurren t mental and physical illness with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disea ses playing the most prominent role in both the etiology and prognosis. Exc essive or persistent disability is the common ground upon which medical com orbidity and mental disorders manifest their relationship. (C) 1999 Lippinc ott Williams & Wilkins.