Globally, the population is aging rapidly. Between 2015 and 2050, the proportion of the world’s population over 60 years is estimated to nearly double, from 12% to 22%. Approximately 15% of adults aged 60 and over suffer from a mental disorder. The most common neuropsychiatric disorders in this age group are dementia and depression. Mental health problems are under-identified by healthcare professionals and older people themselves, and the stigma surrounding mental health in older adults makes people reluctant to seek help.
The impact of depression on mental health in elderly people can be severe: much research has reported that depression is associated with worse health in people with conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. It can complicate the treatment of these conditions, including making it more difficult for someone to care for him- or herself and to seek treatment when needed. In older adults, depression may be disregarded as frailty, or it may be viewed as an inevitable result of life changes, chronic illness, and disability.
Causes and Risk factors for mental health problems among older adults
Multiple social, psychological, and biological factors determine the level of mental health of a person at any point in time.
One of the ongoing problems with the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness in seniors is the fact that older adults are more likely to report physical symptoms than psychiatric complaints. However, even the normal physical and emotional stresses that go along with aging can be risk factors for mental illnesses like anxiety and depression. There are several potential triggers for mental illness in the elderly:
- Physical disability
- Long-term illness (e.g., heart disease or cancer)
- Dementia-causing illness (e.g. Alzheimer’s disease)
- Physical illnesses that can affect thought, memory, and emotion (e.g. thyroid or adrenal disease)
- Change of environment, like moving into assisted living, drop in socioeconomic status with retirement
- Illness or loss of a loved one
- Medication interactions
- Alcohol or substance abuse
- Poor diet or malnutrition
All of these factors can result in isolation, loss of independence, loneliness, and psychological distress in older people.
Why is it important to recognize mental illness in the elderly?
Mental health has an impact on physical health and vice versa. For example, older adults with physical health conditions such as heart disease have higher rates of depression than those who are medically well. Conversely, untreated depression in an older person with heart disease can negatively affect the outcome of the physical disease.
Older adults are also vulnerable to elder abuse – including physical, sexual, psychological, emotional, financial, and material abuse; abandonment; neglect; and serious losses of dignity and respect. Current evidence suggests that 1 in 10 older people experience elder abuse. Elder abuse can lead not only to physical injuries but also to serious, sometimes long-lasting psychological consequences, including stress and anxiety.
Depression
It can cause great suffering and lead to impaired functioning in daily life. Unipolar depression occurs in 7% of the general elderly population. Depression is both underdiagnosed and undertreated in primary care settings. Symptoms of depression in older adults are often overlooked and untreated because they coincide with other problems encountered by older adults.
Older adults with depressive symptoms have poorer functioning compared to those with chronic medical conditions such as lung disease, hypertension, or diabetes. It can also increase the perception of poor mental health in older adults, the utilization of medical services, and health care costs.
Warning Signs of Mental Illness in the Elderly
- Noticeable changes in mood, energy level, or appetite
- Feeling flat or having trouble feeling positive emotions
- Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much
- Difficulty concentrating, feeling restless, or on edge
- Increased worry or feeling stressed
- Anger, irritability, or aggressiveness
- Ongoing headaches, digestive issues, or pain
- A need for alcohol or drugs
- Sadness or hopelessness
- Suicidal thoughts
- Engaging in high-risk activities
- Obsessive thinking or compulsive behavior
- Thoughts or behaviors that interfere with work, family, or social life
What can you do about it?
Mental health in older adults and emotional well-being are as important in older age as at any other time of life. Recognizing the signs and seeing a health practitioner is the first step to getting treatment, which can make a real difference in someone’s quality of life. Help is available in the form of both psychosocial interventions and medicines.
If you think you or a loved one could be suffering from mental ill health. You should consult a counselor, a psychologist, or a psychiatrist. The important part is not to stand by and suffer alone. With the combined efforts of families, caregivers, and mental health professionals, we can help ward off mental illness in our older loved ones and make sure they are on the right track to healthy aging.