Depression Commonly Strikes Seniors & Other Vital Facts About Depressed Seniors

There’s a common belief that depression is a normal part of aging. It’s not. But unfortunately, it is prevalent among the elderly. A 2000 study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry found that 3.2 percent of elderly men and 5.1 percent of elderly women currently had depression, said William Marchand, M.D., a clinical associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Utah School of Medicine and author of the book Depression and Bipolar Disorder: Your Guide to Recovery. Depression can have devastating effects among the elderly. It increases the risk for cardiac diseases and exacerbates a person’s ability to recover from other illnesses. For instance, symptoms such as hopelessness may dissuade older individuals from following their treatment. Depression also increases the risk for mortality. “Depression disables everyone, but all too often it kills older people,” Barry Lebowitz, a professor of psychiatry at the University of California at San Diego, told The Washington Post in this excellent piece. Depression is the most significant risk factor for suicide. And suicide is more common among older individuals than any other age group in the U.S. The elderly make up about 13 percent of the U.S. population, but they account for 20 percent of deaths by suicide, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. The highest rate of suicide is among older white men. In fact, among white men who are 85 and older, suicide is almost six times the rate in the ge...
Source: Psych Central - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Tags: Aging Antidepressants Depression Disorders ECT General Grief and Loss Healthy Living Medications Psychotherapy Self-Help Seniors Treatment Archives Of General Psychiatry Bipolar Disorder Cardiac Diseases Clinical Associate Source Type: news