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Serious Mental Illness in Elderly Veterans
James B. Lohr M.D.
Saturday October 30, 2004
Presented by the MIRECC of the VA Desert-Pacific Healthcare Network,
Department of Veterans Affairs Employee Education System, and the UCSD Department
of Psychiatry in cooperation with the Chesapeake Health Education Program, Inc.
and the VA Maryland Health Care System .
Objectives
At the conclusion of the program, participants will be able to:
- Describe the primary types of serious mental illness in older veterans;
- Describe the basic approach to the diagnosis and workup of these patients;
and
- Describe the primary treatment opportunities and issues for this population.
Synopsis
Serious mental illness continues to be a growing problem in the VA system,
and this is especially true within the important subgroup of older veterans.
In this lecture, the basic types of mental illness in older veterans will be
outlined and described, along with current demographic information and trends.
The general workup of the older patient with SMI will then be discussed, followed
by treatment options, with a primary focus on psychopharmacology and the importance
of medical comorbidity and drug interactions in this group.
Disclaimer:
This web site, is offered as a public service and is not intended to substitute for professional medical care.
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