Why Centenarians’ Depressive Symptoms Must Become a Priority for Nurses

The world population's rapid aging is a globally recognized phenomenon. The proportion of very old people is also growing fast, notably centenarians: in 2015, there were half a million individuals aged 100 years old or older. According to United Nations predictions, this number will increase to 3.4 million in 2050 and more than 25 million in 2100, representing a population of centenarians 50 times higher than in 2015.1 However, the aging process is often accompanied by the emergence or worsening of pathologic conditions,2 of which depression can be one.