Public knowledge of late-life depression and aging

Depression among the elderly is a common, treatable condition, yet few, individuals older than the age of 65 are treated for this disorder. This study used a sample of 235 adults to assess the general public's knowledge of late-life depression and aging. The data indicated that the sample had little knowledge of aging in general and even less about late-life depression Radar differences were more prominent than were gender differences. Whites and African Americans did not differ in terms of their knowledge of aging. However Whites were more knowledgeable of depression than were African Americans. This suggests differences in the social construct of depression in the African American community in comparison with the White community. The relationship between knowledge of aging and knowledge of depression is also discussed.