Clinical depression in the elderly
is common. That doesn't mean, though, it's normal. Late-life depression affects
about 6 million Americans age 65 and older. But only 10% receive treatment for
depression. The likely reason is that the elderly often display symptoms of depression
differently. Depression in the elderly is also frequently confused with the
effects of multiple illnesses and the medicines used to treat them.
Depression is a very common condition that is believed by many experts to be
the number one cause of disability in the world. In the U.S., 17% of people will
experience depression at some point in their lives. An estimated 19 million
people in the U.S. are currently suffering from depression. Depression is more
common in women then in men, with 25% of women suffering from depression severe
enough to warrant treatment at least once during their lifetime.
It's important to remember that depression is an illness
that affects both the body and mind. It is not something that we can just wish
away or "snap out of," nor is it a sign of a weak character. The good news about depression is
that almost everyone suffering from this condition can be helped with treatment,
so it is important to recognize the signs and symptoms of depression.
How does depression in the elderly differ from
depression in younger
adults?
Depression in later life frequently coexists with other medical illnesses
and disabilities. In addition, advancing age is often accompanied by loss of
social support systems due to the death of a spouse or siblings, retirement, or
relocation of residence. Because of changes in an elderly person's
circumstances and the fact that elderly people are expected to slow down,
doctors and family may miss the signs of depression. As a result, effective
treatment gets delayed. Many seniors find themselves trying to cope with
symptoms that could have been easily treated.
Depression tends to last longer in elderly adults. It doubles their risk of
cardiac diseases and increases their risk of death from illness. At the same
time, depression reduces an elderly person's ability to rehabilitate.
Studies of nursing home patients with physical illnesses have shown that the
presence of depression substantially increases the likelihood of death from
those illnesses. Depression also has been associated with increased risk of
death following a heart attack. For that reason,
making sure that an elderly person you are concerned about is evaluated and
treated is important, even if the depression is mild.
Depression in the elderly, especially elderly white men, is more likely to
lead to suicide. The suicide rate in
people ages 80 to 84 is more than twice that of the general population. The
National Institute of Mental Health considers depression in people age 65 and
older to be a major public health problem.
How is insomnia related to depression in the elderly?
Insomnia is usually a symptom
of depression. New studies reveal that insomnia is also a risk factor for
depression onset and recurrence -- particularly in the elderly.
To treat insomnia, experts recommend the newer "hypnotic" drugs that are safe and effective in elderly people. If
there's no improvement in the sleep disorder and/or depression,
a psychiatrist or psychopharmacologist may prescribe medications and/or
psychotherapy.
What are risk factors for depression in the
elderly?
Factors that increase the risk of depression in the elderly include:
Brain scans of people who develop their first depression in old age often
reveal spots in the brain that may not be receiving adequate blood flow.
Chemical changes in these cells may enhance the likelihood of depression
separate from any life stress.
Depression is an illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts and affects the way a person eats and sleeps, the way one feels about oneself, and the way one thinks about things. The principal types of depression are major depression, dysthymia, and bipolar disease (also called manic-depressive disease).
Parkinson's disease is a slowly progressive neurologic disease characterized by a fixed inexpressive face, a tremor at rest, slowing of voluntary movements, a gait with short accelerating steps, peculiar posture and muscle weakness, caused by degeneration of an area of the brain called the basal ganglia, and by low production of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Most patients are over 50, but at least 10 percent are under 40.
Dissociative identity disorder (formerly known as multiple personality disorder or split personality disorder) is a mental illness in which a person has at least two distinct personalities. Symptoms and signs include lapses in memory, feeling unreal, blackouts in time, hearing voices in their head that are not their own, not recognizing themselves in the mirror, and finding items in one's possession but not recalling how they were acquired. Treatment usually involves psychotherapy, medications, and sometimes hypnosis.
Cushing's syndrome, sometimes referred to as hypercortisolism, is a hormonal disorder caused by prolonged exposure to high levels of the hormone cortisol. Symptoms may include obesity, thinning arms and legs, a rounded face, and increased fat around the neck. Some causes of Cushing's syndrome is from taking glucocorticoid hormones such as prednisone for inflammatory diseases. Treatment for Cushing's syndrome depends on the cause.
Huntington's disease is the result of degeneration of neurons in areas of the brain. Huntington's disease is an inherited disorder. Early symptoms include mood swings, apathy, depression, and anger uncharacteristic of the individual. Judgement, memory, and other cognitive functions may become impaired. Presymptomatic testing is available for individuals who have a family history of Huntington's disease. Treatment includes medication and therapy for symptoms.
Alzheimer's disease is a common cause of dementia. Symptoms and warning signs of Alzheimer's disease include memory loss, difficulty performing familiar tasks, disorientation to time and place, misplacing things, and more. The biggest risk factor for Alzheimer's disease is increased age. Treatment for Alzheimer's is often targeted toward decreasing the symptoms and progression of the disease.
Grief is the feeling one experiences after a loss (of a friendship, death of loved one, job). Complicated grief refers to grief that lasts for more than a year. Mourning describes the customs and rituals that help a bereaved individual make sense of their loss.
Insomnia is the perception or complaint of inadequate or poor-quality sleep because of difficulty falling asleep; waking up frequently during the night with difficulty returning to sleep; waking up too early in the morning; or unrefreshing sleep. Secondary insomnia is the most common type of insomnia. Treatment for insomnia include lifestyle changes, cognitive behavioral therapy, and medication.
Fatigue can be described in various ways. Sometimes fatigue is described as feeling a lack of energy and motivation (both mental and physical). The causes of fatigue are generally related to a variety of conditions or diseases for example, anemia, mono, medications, sleep problems, cancer, anxiety, heart disease, drug abuse, and more. Treatment of fatigue is generally directed toward the condition or disease that is causing the fatigue.
Hypercalcemia is a condition in which calcium levels in the blood are elevated. Hypercalcemia is associated with other conditions such as hyperparathyroidism, lung cancer, breast cancer, kidney failure, and elevated levels of vitamin D. Symptoms of hypercalcemia include constipation, nausea, abdominal pain, kidney stones, to name a few. Treatment depends on the cause of hypercalcemia.
Dysthymia is a less severe form of chronic depression. Symptoms and signs include insomnia, suicidal thoughts, guilt, empty feeling, loss of energy, helplessness, sluggishness, and persistent aches and pains. Treatment may involve psychotherapy, electroconvulsive therapy, and antidepressants.
Enjoying a satisfying sex life as we age is important to both physical and mental health. As we age, diseases and conditions may pose challenges in our sexual health, and sexual experiences. Learn how to manage your conditions and still have a gratifying sex life as you age.
Mental illness is any disease or condition affecting the brain that influence the way a person thinks, feels, behaves, and/or relates to others. Mental illness is caused by heredity, biology, psychological trauma and environmental stressors.
Compulsive gambling is a disorder that affects millions in the U.S. Symptoms and signs include a preoccupation with gambling, lying to family or loved ones to hide gambling, committing crimes to finance gambling, and risking importance relationships and employment due to gambling. Treatment may incorporate participation in Gamblers' Anonymous, psychotherapy, and medications like carbamazepine, topiramate, lithium, naltrexone, antidepressants, clomipramine, and fluvoxamine.
Emotional eating can be detrimental to one's efforts at weight loss. Learning to identify the situations and emotions that trigger overeating can help to break the habit and prevent future instances of compulsive eating.
Caring for a loved one or patient with Alzheimer's can become a difficult and overwhelming task at times. This guide helps caregivers of individual's with Alzheimer's deal with communicating, bathing, and dressing; as well as problem solving with incontinence, sleeping, wandering; and coping with difficulties Alzheimer's patients present.
Most often, caregivers take care of other adults who are ill or disabled. Less often, caregivers are grandparents raising their grandchildren. The majority of caregivers are middle-aged women. Caregiving can be very stressful, so it's important to recognize when it's putting to much strain on you and to take steps to prevent/relieve stress.
Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is a mental illness that involves the
sufferer experiencing at least two clear identities or personality states, also
called alters, each
of which has a fairly consistent way of viewing and relating to the world. Some
individuals with DID have been found to have personality states that have
distinctly different ways of reacting, in terms of emotions, pulse, blood
pressure, and blood flow to the brain. This
disorder was formerly called multiple personality disorder (MPD) and is often
referred to as split personality disorder. Statistics regarding this
disorder indicate that the incidence of DID is about 3% of patients in
psychiatric hospitals and is described as occurring in females nine times more
often than in males. However, this female preponderance may be due to difficulty identifying the disorder in
males. Also, disagreement among mental-health professionals about ho...