MENTAL WELLNESS

DEPRESSION

Depression in the Elderly

Depression is the most common psychiatric disease, affecting between 10% to 35% of hospitalized elderly [severe form], and older persons in the community [mild forms]. This persistent or recurrent disorder generally results from psychosocial stress or physiologic effects of disease and can lead to disability, cognitive impairments, increased symptoms from medical illness, increased utilization of health care services and increased rates of suicide and non-suicide mortality.

Elderly patients often avoid reporting or showing that their mood level accepting it as an inevitable consequence of aging. Symptoms of tachycardia, tremor, hypoventilation and light-headedness are common. Anxiety, worry, apprehension or panic that is out of proportion to an actual threat, making it difficult to diagnose by others. Therefore, depression in the elderly is often under-recognized and under-treated.

The increased incidence and prevalence of depression with aging is often due to physical disability, bereavement, cognitive abilities and social isolation. Depression may also be caused by a variety of drugs; often associated with common aging diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, and Parkinson's disease.

Depression is NOT a normal part of aging and should not be accepted by such by either patient or doctor. Depression is a treatable disease and the treatment work.

Depression in Women