Am J Psychiatry 1985; 142:323-327
Copyright © 1985 by American Psychiatric Association
The impact of depression in old age on close social relationships
E Murphy
Changes in the ratings of intimacy of personal relationships in depressed
elderly patients were studied over a 1-year period. Those patients who had
recovered by the end of the year were significantly more likely to report
an improvement in the quality of their close relationships then were
patients who had a poor clinical outcome. Changes in reports of intimacy
were due not only to the effect of depression on the quality of
relationships but also to independent life events occurring in the
follow-up period.
