He had been feeling “blue” for two years now. Roger* told me that most days he stayed in bed because he couldn’t think of a good reason to get up. He felt that life was a chore and that he was looking forward to the end of his. When I suggested that he may be clinically depressed and that he might consider visiting with his doctor about his symptoms, he looked at me as if I’d lost my mind. “Why would I do that?” he said. “My only problem is that I’m old. Nonsense.”
Depression is not a normal part of aging. However, the symptoms of depression have often been associated with aging for several reasons:
- The symptoms for depression in the aging are often different than from the rest of the population.
- Depression can imitate dementia, suggesting to the sufferer and their family that their symptoms are caused by old age.
- The elderly often have other major health problems, leading the sufferer and their doctors to believe that their symptoms are caused by their other illnesses or conditions.
- The elderly often lose their loved ones and the symptoms of depression are explained away as part of the grief process.
Why don’t the elderly seek treatment for their depression?
It is estimated that while 12 to 20% of the elderly suffer from depression, only 1 to 2% of these individuals ever seek treatment. Why does this happen?
- The elderly are often more concerned about society’s reaction to their depression.
- The elderly are often afraid of becoming a burden to their loved ones and so they don’t tell anyone they are suffering.
- The sense of worthlessness that accompanies depression makes them feel as if they don’t deserve help.
- The elderly don’t understand depression any better than the rest of society does.
How does depression present itself in the elderly?
Look for a combination of these symptoms, lasting for a period of two weeks or more:
- Feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness
- Thoughts of suicide. (Listen for statements such as, “I wish God would just come and get me. I wish I just wouldn’t wake up in the morning.”
- Tearfulness
- Loss of interest or pleasure in activities that formerly appealed to them.
- Significant weight loss or weight gain
- Marked change in sleep patterns (not able to sleep or sleeping too much)
- Extreme agitation
- Observable slowness of thought
- Feeling tired or having a loss of energy nearly every day
- Inappropriate guilt nearly every day
- Diminished ability to think or concentrate
- Indecisiveness nearly every day
- Symptoms that can’t be reasonably explained by bereavement (symptoms more than 2 months)
- Feelings of being isolated from everyone (“No one loves me anymore.”)
- Persistent headaches, stomach aches, or chronic pain
- Withdrawing from family and friends
Why should the elderly seek treatment for their depression?
It is important that the elderly receive treatment for depression because a study, performed by scientists at the National institute on Aging, reported that the prevention and treatment of depression could extend the lives of the elderly, as well as increase their level of life satisfaction. The study also showed that individuals who were very depressed were more likely to have a significant loss of physical ability and that newly depressed men were twice as likely to suffer a cardiovascular event or death than men who had not been depressed. Surprisingly, another study (University of Michigan) showed that having depression increases a person’s risk for disease as high as if they smoked.
What treatments for depression are effective for the elderly?
The good news is that the elderly can be treated for depression as effectively as any other age group. Here are some of the treatments that can help:
- Therapy is valuable, as the sufferer’s doctor can help the person understand their feelings, as well as teach them to change their negative thought patterns.
- Medication is important, as depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain and it is important that this imbalance be corrected so that the person can recover.
- Social interaction is very important. A study by the Australian government showed that people who live alone are more likely to suffer from depression. Although it’s hard to interact with other people when depressed, this interaction can help lesson the symptoms.
- Reminiscing about the past. An article by ElderCare Online Innovations Inc. states that “reminiscing has strong therapeutic potential for people of all ages, and especially for elderly people… By reminiscing, people can resolve old conflicts, disappointments and guilts, and also strengthen their selfesteem and celebrate the good in their lives.”
*name changed
