For any age group, depression can be a serious issue, one that significantly decreases quality of life. More than 6.5 million people aged 65 or older currently experience depression. Many of these people will have experienced the mental health condition earlier in their life as well, but for some, depression first emerges in their later years.
Regardless of the cause, depression is frequently untreated in the elderly.
One reason for this is that people simply do not recognize the symptoms. After all, many of the symptoms of depression also occur with other conditions, like dementia, heart disease or a thyroid disorder.
This makes it so important that you can recognize the signs of depression in seniors.
Another reason is that people often view depression as a natural part of aging, so they do not address the topic.
If a person feels this way, they might intentionally ignore the signs of depression in seniors.
Yet, untreated depression in elderly can have significant implications.
For example, it can increase the risk for cognitive decline and for physical health issues. At the same time, untreated depression can increase the risk of suicide. In fact, the impacts of depression for older adults can be significantly different than for younger people, and it can last for longer.
Many seniors feel that depression is a character flaw, and because of this, they may go to great lengths to hide their condition.
These factors make it very important for caregivers to be able to spot depression in elderly, symptoms and signs because this can help make sure that seniors get the help that they need.
Because of the significance of depression in elderly, it should be treated even if the depression is minor.
Depression in Elderly: Symptoms to Watch Out For
Most people think of depression as intense sadness.
However, there are many other signs of depression in seniors. In fact, some seniors may have depression without any symptoms of sadness.
For example, some key symptoms of depression in older people include the following:
- Memory problems
- Social withdrawal
- Loss of appetite
- Insomnia
- Delusions
- Irritability
- Vague and persistent complaints
As you can see, these are all symptoms that may easily be missed or attributed to some other condition.
Treatment
Depression can be a tricky disorder to treat, and some people never respond to medication or other treatment options.
However, many people do respond and can be treated effectively, especially in the case of older patients.
Using medication is one of the most common ways of treating depression and it is often where treatment starts. It can take some time to find the right medication, as medication comes with both benefits and side effects.
One of the key aims of treatment is to find medication that is effective for treating the depression and that doesn’t produce intolerable side effects.
Another approach for treatment is psychotherapy, which may be used in conjunction with medication. The emphasis is on talking to a trained professional. This can help in a number of ways, including in targeting the thinking patterns of the individual and in identifying the behaviors and patterns that contribute to the depression.
If you know or suspect that a loved one has depression, the first approach is talking to them about it and then talking to a medical professional.
Even though there remains a strong stigma around mental illness and depression, it is nothing to be ashamed of and can be treated.
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