目的：憂鬱疾患是老年人功能下降常見的原因。一般咸認為老年人的憂鬱疾患，無論在臨床表現，病理生理機轉或是預後各方面，均有別於成年時期發生的憂鬱疾患。而晚發性憂鬱症常被視作憂鬱症研究之器質性模型。本研究乃針對住院老年憂鬱疾患病人之臨床特徵及治療結果，進行描述性研究。方法：本研究取自臺灣北部某醫學中心精神部6年間心身病房1262位成年住院病人中，年齡大於60歲，且診斷符合憂鬱疾患（包括符合DSM-IIIR或DSM-IV 診斷之重鬱發作，輕鬱症，其他未註明之憂鬱性疾患及鬱型適應性障礙）之107位病人為研究對象，以病歷研究之方式，進行分析。並依照首次鬱症發作之年齡，將55歲以前發作者（26位）定義為早發性憂鬱症，55歲以後發病者（81位）為晚發性憂鬱症分組，就臨床特徵、治療方式與治療反應進行組間之比較。結果：納入研究之住院病人，佔所有住院憂鬱疾患病人之27.2%，60歲以上老年人住院比率的44.7%。其平均年齡為67.3±5.3歲；男性33位（30.8%），女性74位（69.2%）。72%的病人合併身體疾患，29.9%合併其他精神疾患。28位（25.3%）病人於住院期間接受腦部影像檢查，其中64.3%（18/28）有異常發現。93.5%病人於此次發作期間，至少接受一種以上抗鬱藥之治療，另有4位病人接受電痙攣治療，8位病人接受合併治療 (combination treatment)。58位（54.2%）病人在出院時症狀獲得顯著改善，平均住院日為37.5日。依首次鬱症發作之年齡分組，發現晚發組比早發組的平均年齡高，且教育程度低，其餘之臨床表現與出院時狀況，未有顯著之不同。結論：老年憂鬱症住院病人之身體疾患共病率為72%，精神疾患共病率為29%。至於發病年齡早晚以及不同之診斷亞型，就疾病之臨床表現和治療反應而言，除重鬱發作之住院日數較長外，並未發現顯著之差異。

　　　　　Objective: Depression occurring in later life is often thought to differ from that occurring in adulthood with respect to clinical features, pathophysiology and prognosis. It is important to propose an organic model for depression in the elderly. The relationship for age at onset of first depressive episode and clinical features was examined for elderly, depressed inpatients. Methods: The sample consisted of 107 inpatients over the age of 60 years in a psychosomatic ward. Subjects had been diagnosed with depressive disorders, including major depressive episode, dysthymic disorder, depressive disorder not otherwise specified, and adjustment disorder with depressed mood. The psychiatric diagnoses were made according to DSM-III-R or DSM-IV criteria. The subjects were divided according to age at onset, and associations for demographic and clinical features, and degree of improvement at discharge were examined. Results: Seventy-seven (72%) patients were diagnosed with comorbid physical diseases, and 32 (29%) patients with comorbid mental disorders. At discharge, 58 (54.2%) patients had improved markedly. There were no demonstrable relationships for age at onset and demographic or clinical features, or treatment outcome, despite the fact that the patients with late-onset were older and of a lower educational standard. Conclusion: Higher rates of comorbid physical and mental disorders were revealed for the elderly depressed inpatients in this study, however, the hypothesis that late-onset depression differs from the depression which occurs in adulthood, in respect to clinical features and treatment outcome, was not confirmed.