Neurology

Geriatric Psychiatry

Geriatric psychiatry is a subspecialty of psychiatry that deals with the research, prevention, and treatment of mental illnesses in elderly people, also known as geropsychiatry, psychogeriatrics, or elderly psychiatry. This area is becoming more important as the population ages, particularly in developing countries. Two aspects in this field are the diagnosis, treatment, and management of dementia and depression. It is  defined as a study of curriculum and core competencies is an official subspecialty in psychiatry. The biological and psychological aspects of normal ageing, the clinical effects of acute and chronic physical illness, and the biological and psychosocial aspects of the pathology of older primary psychiatric conditions are emphasised in geriatric psychiatry. Geriatric psychiatrists focus on the prevention, assessment, diagnosis and treatment of elderly mental and emotional conditions and the advancement of medical care for elderly patients who are well and sick.

Geriatric psychiatrists recognise that mental health problems are most commonly related to physical health and/or social conditions in older patients. Because geriatric psychiatrists are medical professionals, they can make diagnoses that take into consideration both the medical and emotional background of the person. For example, the depression of a patient may be the result of a diagnosis of cancer, chronic pain, or an unnoticed medication interaction; anxiety may be increased by memory loss or a new medical diagnosis; or, sadness may cause a decline into drug abuse.

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