A New Push to Teach Doctors About Late-Life Depression
Judy F. Minkove | 09/25/2017
..“Most doctors don’t recognize the threat geriatric mental health problems bring because they’re not trained to do so,” she says. Now, with the release of self-paced, online learning modules she’s crafted for medical students, Lehmann aims to heighten awareness about late-life depression—and its nuances—for the next generation of doctors.
Susan Lehmann, MD, Director, Geriatric Psychiatry Day Hospital Program, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Depression affects as many as 15 percent of people age 65 and older. Other mood disorders, such as manic episodes, can also emerge later in life, says Lehmann, who recently published a book on bipolar disorder in older adults. And, she notes, suicide rates among the elderly are rising, especially among men.