The 42nd Live Lecture of JCBP: Pharmacological Treatment for Patients with Late-Life Depression

The Journal of Clinical and Basic Psychosomatics will hold this live lecture titled "Pharmacological Treatment for Patients with Late-Life Depression" on Bilibili and the WeChat Channels platform at 20:00 on April 7, 2026 (GMT+08:00).

The incidence rate of depressive disorders in the elderly is relatively high, with a prevalence rate of approximately 3%-15% among community-dwelling elderly individuals in China, and even higher in nursing homes. These disorders are often mistakenly regarded as a normal manifestation of aging, resulting in a low recognition rate. Diagnosis is based on the ICD-11 or DSM-5 criteria, but careful differentiation must be made between organic diseases and drug effects. A comprehensive intervention approach is advocated for treatment, including psychotherapy, physical therapy, and pharmacotherapy. The overall prognosis is generally poor, with a tendency towards chronicity, a high recurrence rate, and significant impacts on quality of life and the outcomes of physical illnesses, increasing the risk of suicide.

In elderly patients, the function of monoamine neurotransmitters in the brain declines, and medications can effectively regulate mood and improve core symptoms. More importantly, standardized medication use can rapidly alleviate suffering and reduce the risk of self-harm, thereby creating foundational conditions for psychotherapy and functional rehabilitation. Choosing antidepressants with high safety profiles under the guidance of a doctor offers benefits that far outweigh the risks.

We are honored to have invited Professor Zhenhe Zhou, the Vice President of Wuxi Mental Health Center, a second-grade professor, a second-grade chief physician, and a doctoral supervisor, to serve as the keynote speaker on the topic of "Pharmacological Treatment for Elderly Patients with Depressive Disorders." Professor Chengge Gao, a first-grade chief physician in the Department of Psychiatry at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, will serve as the moderator. We sincerely welcome scholars from all fields to actively participate in this academic live lecture.

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