Prairie View: Older Adult And Depression

July 08, 2009

Older Adults and Depression

By Amy Ibbetson, LMLP, Prairie View

The myth about older adults and depression: Older adults are more likely than young adults to feel more depressed. Actually, studies show that older adults have lower rates of major depression and many other psychiatric disorders than do younger adults.

The wisdom that comes with age: It is believed that older adults tend to be better equipped to handle life stressors and setbacks than young adults. This may be due to a lifetime of learning various coping skills and exposure to multiple societal and personal stressors that have given them social and psychological resources to help protect them from depression.

What are the risk factors for depression in older adults? Studies have shown that as physical health problems increase, the risk for developing depressive symptoms increases. Other factors that may lead to depression in older adults include:

l The death of loved ones
l Decreased independence
l Retirement
l Financial concerns
l Medication side effects
l The caregiving of loved ones
l Not feeling valued as a member of society

The role of depression in physical health problems: Depression can exacerbate pre-existing health problems and make it difficult for health care professionals to diagnose. Additionally, depression can have its own physical symptoms which may include:

l Aches and pains
l Stomach or digestive problems
l Memory and concentration problems
l Changes in appetite leading to weight loss or gain
l Changes in sleeping patterns
l Fatigue or loss of energy
l Observable restlessness or decreased physical activity
l Unexplained physical illnesses or increased physical complaints

Other common symptoms of depression that usually last up to two weeks at a time include:

l Depressed mood nearly every day
l Lost interest or pleasure in all or almost all activities
l Feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, or inappropriate guilt
l Recurrent thoughts of death or suicidal ideation
l Irritability such as agitation or verbal aggressiveness
l Increased isolation

Why is it difficult for older adults to seek treatment for depression? An older adult may have the impression that feeling depressed is common as one grows older and therefore may not want to burden others with his/her problems. There may be the fear of being hospitalized in a psychiatric institution or being labeled as weak or "crazy."They may feel a conflict with their religious beliefs and may use denial as a way to deal with depression. Additionally, many older adults are not familiar with mental health issues and may tend to focus more on the physical symptoms and seek medical attention only.

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