The work is primarily determined by increasing depression in the elderly population. A sample of 30 patients /average age 75,1±7,0 years/ with a depressive episode or recurrent depressive disorder was formed by continuous method at the Psychogeriatric Department. The psychopathological method as well as MADRS and CGI scales and Shmishek test were used in the study. The study reveals high frequency of exogenous factors of depression in later age and prevalence of psychogenic, particularly related to microsocial maladjustment, factors. Also, it demonstrates unfavorable prognostic significance of chronic somatic diseases factors and personal accentuations of alarm type for the results of the treatment.