Eliminates several misconceptions about depression in the elderly--namely: that it is an inevitable consequence of aging and that the hazards involved in its treatment outweigh those of the condition itself. Condenses the latest research information available on depression in old age, identifying some of the questions as yet unanswered and summarizing the answers already known.

Cornelius L. E. Katona is Honorary Professor in the Department of Mental and Health Sciences, University College London, and Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist, Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust.