Dementia and depression in older adults: a southeast European perspective: summary of a dementia psychogeriatric symposium held in Ohrid, Macedonia, 23 May 2013.

We present a report on the recent symposium on dementia and depression in older adults, held in Ohrid, Macedonia and discuss the urgent need for development of psychogeriatric and affiliated services in the Southeast European region. The limited epidemiological data from nine countries in this region suggest high variability of prevalence rates for mental health problems in older adults (>65 years of age). At the moment, there are over 520,000 older adults in the region living with dementia alone.

The association of poor economic condition and family relations in childhood with late-life depression.

Background: Late-life depression encompasses both patients with late-life onset of depression (>60 years) and older adults with a prior and current history of depression. The aim of the study was to analyze the impact of the economic condition and family relations in childhood as risk factors for late-life depression.

Subjects And Methods: This was an analytical cross-sectional study comprising 120 subjects, 60 patients with unipolar depression and 60 subjects without depressive disorders, diagnosed in accordance with the 10-th International Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders.

Family relationships as a risk factor for late life depression.

Aim: To explore the association between depression in older adults and marital status, marital quality and relationships with close family members.

Methods: This study is cross-sectional, carried out at the Department of Geriatric Psychiatry of Skopje Psychiatric Hospital. We studied 120 subjects, 60 patients with unipolar depression and 60 subjects without depression.

Risk factors for dementia of the Alzheimer and vascular type.

The current study was aimed at examining the risk factors in 30 patients with Alzheimer's dementia and 30 patients with vascular dementia. The reports of the caregivers and the medical documentation were used to estimate the risk factors. The condition for the patients to enter this study was the age above 60 years.