LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Clinical depression in older adults will be the topic of January’s “Building Hope” lecture Thursday, Jan. 19 at 8 p.m. sponsored by the UofL Depression Center at the University of Louisville.
“Breaking Free from Depression: Depression in Older Adults”will be presented by David Casey, M.D., associate professor and senior vice chair in the UofL Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. The lecture is free and will be held at Second Presbyterian Church, 3701 Old Brownsboro Rd.
Casey’s presentation will help participants understand the role of depression in older adults and ways in which it can be treated. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, the risk of depression in older adults increases with other illnesses and when the ability to function becomes limited.
Estimates of the incidence of depression in older people overall range from 1 to 5 percent, but that incidence rises to 11.5 percent in those who are hospitalized and to 13.5 percent in those who require home health care. Depression also is one of the conditions most commonly associated with suicide in older adults.
At UofL, Casey is responsible for oversight of the clinical activities of the department. His interests include Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, geriatric depression, psychiatric education and the history of psychiatry. He is board certified in general psychiatry and geriatric psychiatry. He earned his undergraduate degree in biology with honors and his medical degree, summa cum laude, from the University of Louisville and then completed his psychiatric residency training at the University of Washington School of Medicine where he served as chief resident.
The event is part of the “Building Hope” public lecture series sponsored by the UofL Depression Center, Kentuckiana’s leading resource for depression and bipolar disorder treatment, research and education.
For information, contact the UofL Depression Center at (502) 813-6634.