Unfortunately, there are many misconceptions about geriatric psychiatry and about old people in general. Here are some common myths followed by some of the advantages of completing a fellowship in geriatric psychiatry. You can't teach new tricks to a number of young dogs, either. Inflexibility or rigidity as a human characteristic exists throughout the life cycle and may get worse in some people as they age. Alternatively, old people are survivors, and survival usually means growing and adapting to a changing environment.
Many elders learn the advantages of being flexible through experience.
Most old people are depressed. Thus, although depression is a serious problem among the aged, most seniors are not depressed. Most old people get senile. In 1987, Ineichen reviewed 20 published studies of the prevalence of depression throughout the world in people over age 65. These studies varied greatly in their definition of dementia, sampling techniques, instrument sensitivity and statistical analysis.