World psychiatric association section of old age psychiatry consensus statement on ethics and capacity in older people with mental disorders.

The World Psychiatric Association (WPA) Section of Old Age Psychiatry, since 1997, has developed Consensus Statements relevant to the practice of Old Age Psychiatry. Since 2006 the Section has worked to develop a Consensus Statement on Ethics and Capacity in older people with mental disorders, which was completed in Prague, September 2008, prior to the World Congress in Psychiatry. This Consensus meets one of the goals of the WPA Action Plan 2008-2011, "to promote the highest ethical standards in psychiatric practice and advocate the rights of persons with mental disorders in all regions of the world". This Consensus Statement offers to mental health clinicians caring for older people with mental disorders, caregivers, other health professionals and the general public the setting out of and discourse in ethical principles which can often be complex and challenging, supported by practical guidance in meeting such ethical needs and standards, and to encouraged good clinical practice.

Psycho-social model of depression within the elderly population in the institutional and non-institutional life conditions.

The aged people are often in need of other people's help available at their home or in institutions for long term care. On the other hand depression is one of the most prevalent psychiatric disorders and a common cause of disability in the elderly. The study included N=100 participants. Subjects are individuals in the age of 65 or more, 39 men and 61 women. Fifty subjects have been accommodated in the Elderly Centres (homes for retirees), and fifty have been using gerontology centre services at their homes. Depression, functional capability, psychosomatic disorders and subjective estimate of health have been investigated. It has occurred that depression in general was more present among the subjects who lived in the institutional life conditions, namely that depression major (major, regarding severity of the disease) is more frequently present in this group. Depression minor is more frequent among those subjects who live in the non-institutional conditions. Psychosomatic disorders, decreased functional capability and lack of contacts outside homes are in larger correlation to depression among subjects living in the non-institutional life conditions. Depression and subjective health estimate are highly correlated in both groups. Depression is more widely present among women and subjects with higher education levels.

Is there such thing as "reversible dementia" (RD)?

RD is an extremely important problem for the practice of geriatricians. Rationale for this review had come from our question: could we increase and improve the cognitive function of our patients by treating some of "internal medicine" diseases at our hospital. Our clinical experience is telling us that it might be so. We administered the mini mental state examination (MMSE) test on 77 patients to check, if there is a relation between mental state and physical health. Patients were treated with appropriate cardiological, pulmonological and other needed therapies. Results indicate that recovering from the main disease increases the MMSE scores. This leads to the conclusion that successful treatment of patients can be followed and also confirmed by the results of the MMSE test. We have also observed that damaged physical health can inflict cognitive functions, no matter how old a person is.