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Depression and the Elderly
Depression is not a normal part of aging. However, like other
age groups, many people over 65 develop clinical depression.
Other health problems: arthritis, diabetes, high blood
pressure, heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, etc. Like
depression, some of these conditions cause lethargy, sleep impairment,
difficulty concentrating, self-pity, brooding pessimism, and loss of appetite.
Medications: Many drugs that the elderly take for their health problems
can cause side effects that mimic or aggravate symptoms of depression.
Cognitive deterioration. Depression often causes mental
cloudiness and confusion. The problem that may make depression hard to diagnose
in older adults is that everyone loses some mental sharpness with normal aging.
Illnesses like Alzheimer's cause progressive mental deterioration.
More physical complaints and fewer complaints of sadness, helplessness,
hopelessness. People depression are weepy, persistently sad and can envision
only a dark, bleak future. Depressed elderly people may not exhibit these
symptoms and are less likely to mention thoughts of suicide. Instead they may
complain of persistent fatigue, unexplained weight loss, sleep impairment,
appetite loss, and difficulty concentrating. It's easy to see why family members
and doctors may overlook depression in elderly people. Many people see these
physical complaints as a normal part of aging. In addition, many elderly people
vigorously deny that their fatigue, weight loss, sleep problems, etc. indicate
depression.
Personal losses. To be elderly is to live with loss: loss of one's job, loss of
physical and mental vitality, and loss of friends and relatives to illness and
death. Losses are distressing, and can contribute to depression. Unfortunately,
family members and physicians may attribute symptoms to recent losses,
particularly spousal bereavement, and overlook depression. Some 800,000
Americans become widowed each year. About 20% of them (160,000) meet the
diagnostic criteria for major depression two months after their loss, and for
about one-third of them (50,000), depression lasts for up to one year. Risk
factors for major depression after the death of a spouse include: poor general
health, severe depressive symptoms shortly after the loss, and a personal or
family history of depression.
[ Up ]
[ Depression Biochemistry ] [ Depression and Anxiety ] [ Depression and Loss of Sex Drive ] [ Depression and Sleep Problems ] [ Depression and Suicide ] [ Depression and the Elderly ] [ Depression and Adolescents ] [ Depression and Chronic Illness ] [ Depression and Weight ] [ Co-occurence of Depression with Other Illnesses ]
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