Diagnosis and Treatment of Depression in the Elderly Mental disorders are becoming more prevalent in today's society as people add stress and pressure to their daily lives. The elderly population is not eliminated as a candidate for a disorder just because they may be retired. In fact, mental disorders affect 1 in 5 elderly people. One would think that with disorders being rather prevalent in this age group that there would be an abundance of treatment programs, but this is not the case. Because the diagnosis of an individual's mental state is subjective in nature, many troubled people go untreated regularly (summer 1998). Depression in the elderly population is a common occurrence, yet the diagnosis and treatment seem to slip through the cracks. Depression is an example of a metal condition that may slip through the cracks when it comes to detection. The health care industry contributes to the overlooking of depression in the elderly because of the overwhelming desire to keep costs down. The factors of depression are open for interpretation, which results in different doctors looking for different things. In addition to that, elderly people may not exhibit the traditional symptoms of depression either. Aged individuals may have symptoms of depression that go unnoticed due the fact that those symptoms are being attributed to a different ailment. "One half of all depressed patients seen by general physicians are not identified as depressed (August 1995)." Also, some of the things people look for in detecting depression are things that society seems to think are the norm for our elders (October 1999). In addition, there appear to be a few fundamental differences between depression in the young and old. Elderly people... ... middle of paper ... ...ust 1995. V50. P44-51. Friedrich, M. J. "Recognizing and Treating Depression in the Elderly." Journal of the American Medical Association. October 6, 1999. V282i13. P1215. Jackson, Rupert & Bob Baldwin. "Detecting Depression in Elderly Mentally Ill Patients: The Use of Geriatric Depression Scale Compared with Medical and Nursing Observations. Age and Aging. September 1993. V22n5. P349-354. "Management of Anxiety and Depression in Elderly Persons. American Family Physician. April 1996. V53n5. P1861-1863. Pinkowish, Mary Desmond. "Keeping Older Patients Depression Free." Patient Care. March 30, 1999. V3. P19. Robinson, Gail K. et al. "Managed Care Policy: Meeting the Mental Health Needs of the Aged?" Generations. Summer 1998. V22n2. P58-63. Wilkinson, Phillip. "Cognitive Therapy With Elderly People. Age and Aging. January 1997. V26n1. P53-59.
Some typical symptoms of a depressive episode include loss of interest or pleasure in activities that are usually enjoyed, loss of confidence and self-esteem, complaints or evidence of diminished focus or concentration, and bleak or pessimistic views of the future (WHO, 1992; Maj & Satorius, 2002). Two additional aspects to consider are age and cognitive functioning, as a young person’s capacity differs from the cognitive function of an adult, and their ability to distinguish between rational and irrational thoughts and feelings should be taken into consideration during therapy (Braswell, 2001).
Clinical depression, which affects about 10% of the adult population (Holtz, Stokes, 1138), is charact...
Williamson, J. S. (2008). Depression. Phi Kappa Phi Forum, 88(1), 18-18, 24. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.library.capella.edu/docview/235187495?accountid=27965
Additionally, the older a person gets the more urgent it is to acquire if one has or is prone to depression, because according to The National Institute of Mental Health, depression, especially in midlife or older adults, can co-occur with other serious medical illnesses, such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and Parkinson’s disease, so in turn these conditions are often worse when depression is present. Depression can also cause physical symptoms, because certain brain chemicals or neurotransmitters influence both mood and pain; these symptoms may include joint pain, back pain, gastrointestinal problems, sleep disturbances, and appetite changes and the symptoms may also be accompanied by slowed speech and movements. (“What is Depression?” Page 4.) It is often known that many people will consult with multiple doctors to figure out why their habits and moods have so drastically changed when in fact they can potentially have clinical
After a long day at work, I collect my thoughts and review the previous events of the day. An event that clearly stands out in my mind is a conversation I had with an elderly resident at my work. Over the past two years, I have worked at a retirement home called Grand Wood Park as a dietary aide, where it is my job to serve the residents their meals. When I was at work, one of the residents mentioned something to me I had never considered prior to our conversation. She said she feels as though no one cares about her anymore. Her family members do not come and visit her, they have ageist ideas, misconceptions, and often undermine her mental capabilities. I tried my best to reassure her, but I knew this was not enough since my reassurance would
Mavandadi, S., Ten Have, T. R., Katz, I. R., Durai, U. B., Krahn, D. D., Llorente, M. D., & ... Oslin, D. W. (2007). Effect of Depression Treatment on Depressive Symptoms in Older Adulthood: The Moderating Role of Pain. Journal Of The American Geriatrics Society, 55(2), 202-211. doi:10.1111/j.1532-5415.2007.01042.x
Depression is a common mental disorder that affects approximately 350 million people worldwide (World Health Organization (WHO), 2014). At its worst, depression may lead to suicide, with an approximate 1 million deaths per year (WHO, 2014). Since depression is a mood disorder, it can affect many aspects of health, and it may prevent older adults from enjoying life (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2010). Older adults living with depression may suffer from sleep disturbances, aches and pains, fatigue, and changes in weight...
If the older patient’s complaints during a routine office visit are being ignored because of their chronological age, successful aging and quality of life will certainly be impacted by lack the of treatment for potential mental conditions. The fact that this ignorance can directly lead to suicide among this particular cohort more than any other group is frightening. Considering that social isolation is a primary reason for the onset of depression among older adults, the importance of physician and other health care provider identification of depression through screening and preventive measures are imperative. According to Blakemore (2009), 40 percent of older people who visit their general physician, half of older adult inpatients in general hospitals and 60 percent of long-term care residents have mental health problems and are often denied access to the same mental health services as younger adults including psychological therapist and drug interventions (p. 6). These numbers are astounding among a group of individuals whose physical health could be directly impacted by improved mental health care. Again, the ageism that influences screening and prevention among older adults is directly impacting the quality of life and chance at active aging among the older population.
Depression is defined as "a state of despondency marked by feelings of powerlessness and hopelessness" (Coon, 2001). Some people can mix up depression with just having the blues because of a couple of bad days or even weeks. It is already said that depression affects about one sixth of the population or more (Doris, Ebmeier, Shajahan, 1999). Depression can happen in any age range from birth to death. The cause of depression is still obscure and becoming clear that a number of diverse factors are likely to be implicated, both genetic and environmental. Some causes are leading stressful lives, genetic factors, a previous depressive episode, and the personality trait neuroticism (Doris, et al., 1999).
NICE (2009) Depression in Adults: the treatment and management of depression in adults. National Institute for Clinical Excellence, London
Horwitz, Allan. (2010). How an Age of Anxiety Became an Age of Depression. , 88(1), p112-138.
Depression is a serious mental health illness which affects an individuals’ mind, body and mood. It is a chronic and lifelong health condition (NICE, 2006) thought to be caused by a number of biological factors including neurotransmitter disturbances in the brain and an element of genetic vulnerability; these are often in addition to psychosocial factors such as the occurrence of undesirable life events, limited social network options, poor self esteem and the occurrence of any adverse life events during a persons’ lifetime (Bernstein, 2006). Depression can have an impact on a persons’ ability to do many things including working, engaging with others, participating fully in family life or maintaining relationships, and it can also impact on a person...
As Descartes argued, the mind and the body are the base of our existence, and many different cultures view different illnesses positively or negatively. Certain cultures, like the Hmong, believe that epilepsy is a good spiritual thing, but others, such as Western culture, believe that it is medically bad because it could cause death. Many illnesses can be viewed both negatively and positively, some more than others. However, one such illness that is mostly viewed negatively is depression. It is viewed negatively in a symptomatic sense – the symptoms are useless – and in a diagnostic sense – those diagnosed with depression are not actually depressed and the illness itself does not exist; it is simply an excuse to be lazy. There are many different approaches to depression and most of them consider that this illness is negative; however, depression is actually an evolutionary tactic subconsciously employed by humans that can have very positive effects.
Thompson, D. G. (2009 ). Treating Late Life Depression: A Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Approach . Oxford University Press .
Late life depression affects about 7 million Americans 65 and older, but only 10 percent seek out and receive treatment (Depression in the Elderly: Symptoms, Causes, Treatments). Depression symptoms are different for every individual and sometimes the elderly can confuse mental illness to be side effects of medications they are currently taking. Medications such as steroids, benzodiazepines, and beta blockers may cause symptoms of depression. Also end of life changes such as loss of independence, being alone, and grief from a loss of a spouse are commonly linked to depression of the elderly. As individuals grow in age, neurotransmitters associated with well-being and happiness such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine begins to diminish (Elderly Depression: Depression and