ABSTRACT
To study the frequency of depression in elderly patients admitted to the Internal Medicine Service of an Intitutional Hospital. Patients over 65 years old admitted to the Internal Medicine Service at the Military Hospital at Santiago, Chile, were assessed using the CDS-20 depression questionnaire and the Fromage score for dementia. One hundred twenty seven patients (71 female), were assessed. According to the Fromage score, 30 percent had moderate and 35 percent had severe dementia. Ten percent of males and 42 percent of females were depressive. Moderately demented patients, females, subjects with low educational levels and those living alone had a higher frequency of depression. According to DSM-III the most frequent diagnosis among depressive patients was adjustement disorder with depressive mood. Attending physicians made tha diagnosis in only 11 percent of patients with depression. Conclusions, depression is frequent among hospitalized elders