Aim of work : To determine the influence of general medical conditions (as regards severity and multiplicity of medical illness) and the related disability ondepressive disorders in the population of study. Also, to determine the influence ofsocial support and perceived locus of control (LOC) on depressive disorders in thepopulation of study. And to compare between Major and Non-Major Depression andtheir correlates in older medical inpatients.Design : A cross-sectional, case/control, comparative study with consecutivesampling.Setting : The General Medical wards of Kasr Al Aini Hospital.Subjects: 100 elderly Egyptian patients of both sexes aged 55 years or abovewith no cognitive impairment, suffering from a chronic medical illness and wereadmitted in internal medicine ward at the time of the study. The subjects wereclassified into 2 groups (control and depressed groups) 50 subjects each. The depressed group subjects were further classified into Major (N=18) and Non-Major Depression subgroups (N=32).Methodology : Diagnostic criteria of the DSM-IV TR were used for thediagnosis of depressive disorders. SMMSE was used for assessment of thecognitive functioning (subjects scoring < 24 were excluded). Socio-demographicvariables were collected, Subjective social Support and Actual Social Support(number of children and siblings seen in the past month, number of current friends,presence of family conflicts), elder mistreatment, religious activities, recentbereavement, past history of depression, sexual functioning, Subjective Rating of General Health, and activities of daily living were all assessed. Severity andmultiplicity of the general medical condition was assessed by the ModifiedCumulative Illness Rating Scale (CIRS). Perceived Locus of Control was assessedby Rotter internal/external LOC scale.Results: Comparison between the control and depressed groups revealed thatdepression in older medical inpatients is associated with divorce and widowhood,living alone, inadequate Subjective Social Support and lower number of childrenand siblings seen in the last month, lower number of close friends, and presence offamily conflicts and/or elder mistreatment, irregular practice of religious activities,poor Subjective Rating of General Health, positive past history of depression, andexternal Locus of Control. Comparison between Major and Non-Major Depression subgroups revealed that patient characteristics and correlates of depression are similar in both groups.However, higher educational levels, positive past history of depression, and sexualdysfunction problems were particularly associated with Major Depression.Conclusion :Depression in older medical inpatients is particularly associated with inadequatesocial support whether subjective or actual. Depression in older medical inpatientsis associated with medical illness perception of greater severity rather than theactual disease status and the related disability. Depression in older medicalinpatients is associated with external locus of control and positive past history ofdepression. Both Major and Minor depression are similar in patient characteristicsand depression correlates which suggest that both lie on one continuum in theelderly patients with chronic medical illness.