Ect for the treatment of somatic symptom disorder and unintentional weight loss in older adults: 2 case reports

Somatoform disorders occur in up to 13% of those over age 65 and symptoms often cause significant impairment and disability (Hilderink et al. 2013; Leong et al. 2015). Unintentional weight loss in the elderly is also common and associated with increased morbidity and mortality (Hajek et al. 2017; McMinn et al. 2011). Studies show that depression is often comorbid with both somatoform disorders and unintentional weight loss in the elderly (Leong et al. 2015; Thompson and Morris 1991). Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an effective treatment for severe depression, especially in older adults.
Source: The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry - Category: Geriatrics Authors: Tags: Poster Number: EI-2 Source Type: research