EDITORIAL Geriatric Depression Reaches Maturity
The Consensus Development Conference on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Depression in Late Life was an important milestone in geriatric psychiatry. In the United States, Consensus Conferences are sponsored by the National Institutes of Health for fields that have accumulated a substantial body of reliable knowledge that can provide a framework for clinical practice or future research. It was determined that progress in geriatric depression had reached this level after a meeting of geriatric experts with members of the National Institutes of Health. The Consensus Conference was held approximately one year later and consisted of presentations and public discussion of current research by geriatricians who had made important contributions to the field of geriatric depression. Then a panel of experts in general psychiatry, psychology, neurology, nursing, social work, internal medicine, epidemiology, statistics, as well as a public representative, considered the scientific evidence and formulated a consensus statement.
Several findings of clinical and public health importance were emphasized: Development of Gidelines for continuation and D.C.