Abstract: Objective To compare the clinical characteristic between senile depression and non-senile depression.Methods 43 patients who met the DSM-Ⅳcriteria geriatric depression and 45 patients who met the DSM-Ⅳcriteria general depression were included in this study to compare the clinical characteristics of the two groups.All patients were evaluated with the HAMD, HAMA scales.Results In old group, the score of agitation and hypochondriasis was significantly higher than the non-elder group(P<0.01); and in elder group, the cardiovascular systemic symptoms has largest proportion in all somatic symptoms, and that is significantly difference from the non-elder group(P<0.01).The proportion of gastrointestinal symptom was largest in all somatic symptoms in non-elder group. At the same time, the score of anxiety /somatization, cognition disorders and sleeping disorders in elderly group were significantly higher than those in non-elder group(P<0.01,P<0.05).Conclusion Besides the classical symptoms of depression, hypochondriasis, agitation, somatization and depressive pseudodementia were the features of elderly depression.

Key words: depression, eldely, clinical characteristic