A Psychogeriatric Assessment Program. IV. Interdisciplinary Aspects*

Abstract

The interdisciplinary aspects of the psychogeriatric assessments described in three previous papers are discussed on the basis of factor-analysis findings and their significance in diagnosis, treatment, planning and theory. The difference between basic biopsychologic dysfunctions (including pathohistologic changes and various counter-regulations) and psychosocial dysfunctions (lifestyle) becomes clear statistically as well as clinically. This difference probably is fundamental, in the sense that intact biopsychologic functions are elementary tools for the psychosocial functions.

A Psychogeriatric Assessment Program. V. Three‐Year Follow‐Up*

“…The higher educational level of the nonsurvivor group, together with a shorter onset of mental disease and a more severe social disintegration of the person, would indicate faster decompensation of psychosocial adaptive mechanisms among the better‐educated patients. They may have used their greater intellectual resources to stay in the community despite beginning brain impairment, as discussed in our previous papers (1, 4).…”

“…Twenty healthy, elderly subjects living in the community, who had no known psychiatric problems, were also investigated. The results of this study were published in a series of four articles (1–4). Differences were observed in the scores between the organic and functional groups.…”