National Guidelines for Seniors' Mental Health: The Assessment and Treatment of Depression

The Canadian Coalition for Seniors' Mental Health (CCSMH) was established in 2002 with the mission to promote the mental health of seniors by connecting people, ideas and resources. The CCSMH is proud to have been able to facilitate the development of clinical guidelines. These are the first interdisciplinary, national best practices guidelines to specifically address key areas of seniors' mental health. Depression is the most common mental health problem for older adults and has profound negataive impacts on all aspects of life. Despite its prevalence, depression should not be considered a normal part of aging. Based on available evidence, the CCSMH Depression guideline provides recommendations on: screening, assessment, treatment options non-pharmacological & pharmacological, monitoring, prevention, education and special populations.