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Schonbaum Department of Depression
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The newly renovated Schonbaum Department for Treatment Resistant Depression is the only one in Israel specializing in treating therapy-resistant depression. Its innovative approach to the physiological and chemical aspects of depression has earned it an excellent reputation throughout Israel.
In recognition of its high rate of successful treatment, the new Depression Department has been designated by Israel's Ministry of Health as the National Center for Treatment Resistant Depression. Consequently, chronic cases of depression from throughout Israel are referred to Herzog for treatment.
The Schonbaum Department will also dramatically expand its research work under its internationally renowed director, Prof. Baruch Shapira, recently appointed Professor of Psychiatry at the Hebrew University Medical School.
Treatment of depression in the geriatric population
Depression is a common psychiatric problem in old age that exacts high personal and economic costs.
15-20% of the community-dwelling elderly have clinically significant depressive symptoms. Depressive disorders are prevalent in nursing homes (2-6 times more frequently than among old people living in a community) and in medical settings where diagnosis and treatment of depression are complicated by concurrent medical problems. Depression is also responsible for the majority of geriatric admissions to psychiatric departments of general hospitals.
Geriatric depression is often difficult to recognize, as patients tend initially to present with somatic complaints, anxiety, loss of concentration and memory problems. Depression is associated with high morbidity causing more impairment in social functioning than most chronic medical conditions. It is also associated with increased risk of suicide (according to current medical literature, 15% of patients suffering from depression commit suicide) and increased mortality from causes unrelated to suicide. Emerging data suggest that, for most patients, depression is a recurrent disorder with episodes increasing in frequency throughout life.
Major depression can usually be treated successfully in the elderly. The need for tolerable, rapidly effective agents and drug combinations that will not adversely affect the patient's quality of life have become increasingly important. In our Department for Treatment Resistant Depression, geriatric and psychiatric teams provide combined treatment according to international standards in psychiatry for geriatric populations suffering from depressive disorders.
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