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Depression in the Elderly - An Overview, I

by Sarah Gould

75483d.jpgLast week I mentioned that I was going to do a series on depression in the elderly population, and I’m just now getting around to it!

Many elderly individuals experience the death of a spouse, medical problems, financial troubles, and these things can all lead to depression, and lead to higher rates of depression in those who don’t have a strong support network (friends, family, coworkers even) surrounding them. This depression, however, is not a normal (or required) part of aging; in fact, more seniors (as it is with other humans) are happy with their lives even throughout big changes and troubles.

If you allow this elderly depression alone, it may prevent your grams from enjoying the life that she could have, and it’s proven to take a serious toll on grandpa’s physical health as well. However, if you learn to recognize the signs and symptoms of depression in the elderly population and then learn to help someone effectively, you may find your life (or your loved one’s life) remaining bright and cheery until the end!

Depression is a problem for many older adults and it seems to be mainly due to loss; a loss of independence, a loss of mobility, a loss of health, a loss of your life-long career and even a loss of someone you love. With these losses, it’s normal to feel sad, and even if the feelings of sadness last for months, it is considered normal. However, if you lose all hope and all joy, it’s not normal; it’s depression.

When I say “many adults,” I mean 2 million. 2 million (of the 35 million) Americans over the age of 65 live with full-blown depression according to the National Institute of Health. On top of that, there are 5 million elderly individuals who live with a less severe (half-blown?) form of the illness.

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Posted in Depression, Elderly on December 15th, 2007

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2 Responses to “Depression in the Elderly - An Overview, I”

  1. Mental & Emotional Health » Blog Archive » Depression in the Elderly - An Overview, II Says:
    December 16th, 2007 at 8:10 am

    […] in the Elderly - An Overview, II by Sarah Gould Continuing with my overview of depression in the elderly population, today I’d like to finish that up and then as the week progresses, we will address the causes […]

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Explore mental and emotional health issues including mood disorders, depression, anxiety and anger problems. We’ll also keep up with the latest scientific research on developments related to mental health. Stress, physical illnesses and pain can trigger negative feelings and despair but we’ll focus on how to cope through those difficult times.

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