Aging

Aging, often portrayed as serene, can be marred by late-life challenges like chronic illnesses and loss, affecting emotional well-being. Factors like failing health and limited finances can trigger negative emotions and social withdrawal in older adults. Additionally, physical changes and external pressures may contribute to feelings of sadness, anxiety, and loneliness, leading to apathy.

Aging and Depression:

Chronic depression, a serious outcome, can complicate existing health conditions and trigger new concerns in older adults. Natural body changes associated with aging may increase the risk of depression, as suggested by recent studies linking lower folate concentrations to mental impairment. Depression can also have alarming physical effects on older individuals, with a higher mortality rate for those experiencing both depression and loneliness. Treatment programs for depressed older patients with major illnesses often take longer and are less successful. Feelings of hopelessness and isolation, especially prevalent among older adults with disabilities or in nursing homes, can exacerbate suicidal thoughts.

A risk to daily living:

Depression can also have potentially harmful effects on an older adult­s health in other ways. Depression can lead to eating habits that result in obesity or, conversely, can cause a significant loss of appetite and diminished energy levels, sometimes resulting in a condition known as geriatric anorexia.

Depressed older adults also experience higher rates of insomnia and memory loss. They also have longer than normal reaction times, increasing the hazards associated with cooking, driving, self-medication, and other tasks that require full attention.

What you can do:

While aging is an inevitable part of life, depression need not be part of it. Researchers agree that early recognition, diagnosis, and treatment can counteract and prevent depression is emotional and physical consequences.

Here are some issues to consider in addressing Aging and depression in an older adult:

Consider physical limitations and encourage consultation with a physician before dietary changes or strenuous activities. Respect individual preferences since older adults may be hesitant to adopt new habits. A therapist specializing in aging can customize strategies to combat depression.

Be tactful when offering encouragement, especially to those with fragile self-esteem. A therapist can assist in devising positive approaches for addressing sensitive issues among friends and family.

Anxiety:

Late-life anxiety can often be “silent” missed or difficult to diagnose as older adults tend to somatize psychiatric problems; have multiple psychiatric, medical, and medication issues; and present anxiety differently than do younger patients. Yet late-life anxiety disorders are a “geriatric giant,” being twice as prevalent as dementia among older adults, and four to eight times more prevalent than major depressive disorders, causing significant impact on the quality of life, morbidity, and mortality of older adults. Treatment of late-life anxiety is a challenge given concerns about medication side effects in older, frail, or medically ill patients. Antidepressants are recommended but not always tolerated, and benzodiazepines are generally to be avoided in this population. Effective psychotherapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) are of particular interest for the older adult population, and the combination of CBT and medication is often needed to optimize treatment.