Intellectual and Rorschach Test Performances of a Group of Senile Dementia Patients and of a Group of Elderly Depressives

Owing to the increase in the expectancy of life, there is an increase in the incidence of aged people suffering from mental illness who are admitted to hospital. This has stimulated the paying of special attention to the problems of differential diagnosis in order to avoid lengthy hospitalization wherever possible. Recent studies have tended to emphasize the frequency of affective disorders as well as senile dementia in aged patients. It is consequently important to distinguish the former group because of the greater possibilities of treatment there than in senile dementia. A recent paper (O'Connell, 1954) has been concerned with the study of case material of patients over the age of sixty admitted to this hospital. The present study is largely based on material obtained from patients drawn from O'Connell's sample, but also includes cases with longer hospitalization.