Depression in Seniors

by Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger

09 Oct 2008 03:32 PM

Would your parent or grandparent tell you if they were depressed? According to statistics from the American Psychological Association's Society of Clinical Geropsychology, most of today's generation of seniors wouldn't. Although many older people are quite free with talking about aches and pains, the idea of mental illness (like depression) is embarrassing.

As many as seven million Americans over the age of sixty-five may be suffering from depression. Here's some more bad news about older adults and depression:

• As much as ninety percent of the older Americans suffering from depression aren't getting any help for it.
• The suicide rate for adults over the age of seventy-five is one and a half times the national average. That's the highest rate in the nation.
• Elderly people cared for at home are twice as likely to suffer from major depression than those who are in a care facility.
• Patients who are diagnosed with major depression spend twice as much money on healthcare as those who do not suffer from depression.

Those statistics are frightening.

In my own experience as a caretaker, I saw my grandmother's battle with depression start when she lost her ability to drive. Driving was equated with freedom and independence and being unable to see to drive made her helpless and dependent on others. She wouldn't even consider walking or calling a cab -- it's like those options didn't exist at all.

In my own experience as a person who suffers from depression, I'm very grateful for the friends and family who talked me into seeing a doctor and a therapist. They saved my life. I want to pay it forward and help people who may be facing depression.

Over the next few days in the Health Blog, look for the symptoms of depression in seniors and what you can do to help. Adults over the age of sixty-five is a quickly growing population, thanks to medical advancements. But that means we have to learn how to handle the growing health issues (physical and mental) that come along, too.

Read more about depresion at Families.com.

Learn more about Aimee Amodio

Aimee is a fiction writer... dog lover... music lover...

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Courtney Mroch (9169) 11 Oct 2008 07:16 AM

Are you also going to be covering ways to approach people to help them get help in your series on this topic? Long before my mom got the dementia full blown or learned she had the lung cancer there were signs she was depressed. She always scoffed and mocked us when we'd try to confront her though. I wish I would have known better then how to help her.

And I'm glad you have friends and family who helped you through!