Articles

Removed but not Out of Reach: Seniors with Depression in Smaller Center, Rural, and Remote Communities

Twilla Welch, RN, PN, BScN; Mark Welch, RPN, PhD; John Baer, MSW; Jeff Dias, MSW; Corinne Gurney, RPN; Bev Van Dale, RN, BN; Marianne Lockie, RN; Kathy Millar, RPN, BA; Joe Noon, RN, PhD; Sandy Psiurski, RPC, RPN

  • Psychiatric Annals
  • December 2010 - Volume 40 · Issue 12: 616-623
  • DOI: 10.3928/00485713-20101123-05
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Abstract

In most psychiatric services that provide programs of care to the older adult, depression is the most frequently diagnosed psychiatric condition, with 38% to 47% of cases indicating a depressive disorder.1,2 British and US studies have suggested the presence of substantial depressive symptomatology in 14.7% to 20% of older adults.3,4 From these estimates, it can be extrapolated that over 100,000 elderly Canadians living within the community have a diagnosable depressive illness, and an additional 400,000 live with substantial depressive symptoms that may benefit from treatment.3,4 Despite the research evidence supporting the active treatment of depression, relatively few seniors, compared with other populations, seem to be referred for psychiatric treatments.5 One explanation of this may be a lack of awareness of the research, another may be the lack of practitioners’ experience in psychological therapies.
AUTHORS

Twilla Welch, RN, PN, BScN, Psychogeriatric Educator, Seniors’ Mental Health Team, South Okanagan Region, Interior Health Authority, British Columbia, Canada; Mark Welch, RPN, PhD, Program Manager, Acute Mental Health, South Okanagan Region, Interior Health Authority, Penticton Regional Hospital, British Columbia, Canada; John Baer, MSW, Intake Clinician for the Seniors’ Mental Health Team, South Okanagan Region, Interior Health Authority, British Columbia, Canada; Jeff Dias, MSW, Manager, Seniors’ Mental Health Team, South Okanagan Region, Interior Health Authority, British Columbia, Canada; Corinne Gurney, RPN; Bev Van Dale, RN, BN; Marianne Lockie, RN; Kathy Millar RPN, BA; and Sandy Psiurski, RPC, RPN, Case Managers for the Seniors’ Mental Health Team, South Okanagan Region, Interior Health Authority, British Columbia, Canada; Joe Noon, RN, PhD, retired.

Ms. Welch; Dr. Welch, Mr. Baer; Mr. Dias; Ms. Gurney; Ms. Van Dale; Ms. Lockie; Ms. Millar; Dr. Noon; and Ms. Psiurski have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

Address correspondence to: Twilla R. Welch RN, PN, BScN via e-mail: .twilla.welch@interiorhealth.ca

doi: 10.3928/00485713-20101123-05

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