Depression in the Eldery - Causes
Yesterday I finished up the general overview of elderly depression and today I’d like to start addressing some of the causes of depression in the elderly.
The significant life changes and stressors that elderly individuals face put them at high risk for chronic and full blown depression. Those at highest risk, however, are those with a personal or family history of depression, those elderly individuals with failing health, those individuals with substance abuse problems and especially those with very little social support.
On top of these influences, there are other specific causes and risk factors that may contribute to your grandfather’s depression:
>loneliness and isolation - many of our elderly population live alone; their dwindling social circle (oftentimes due to death and sometimes due to relocation) and decreased mobility (due to illnesses or loss of their drivers license) increase the amount of time that they spend alone
>a reduced “sense of purpose” - due to the reduced ability to do everyday tasks, many elderly individuals feel as though they’re not really doing anything. (I know young adults who feel this way directly out of college.) A life of purposelessness can really wear on an individual (of any age) and cause them to feel depressed.
>issues with health problems - illness, disability, chronic pain, severe pain, cognitive declines and body image disturbances (due to surgery or disease) can all lead to feelings of depression
>medications - many prescription drugs can lead to depression, sometimes triggering, not just
increasing already low-levels of depression
>being afraid - fear of death and dying, anxiety over financial problems and worries over current (or possible) health issues can increase an elderly individuals susceptibility for depression
>recent (and close) bereavement - as we age, more and more people we know are dying near us. This “nearby” deaths can definitely drive a person to feeling down and depressed.
mental and emotional health, depression, elderly depression, causes of depression in the elderly
December 18th, 2007 at 8:05 am
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