Is it normal for the elderly to be depressed?
Depression is very common in the later years but it is usually missed and the symptoms wrongly attributed to normal aging. Society has come to expect depression to occur in later years and so it is ignored. This is much like the neglect of adolescent depression since it too has been considered normal for that age group.
The incidence of depression increases with age. It is presumed that this is caused by a decline in the level of nerve cell chemicals. This decline seems to be much worse if another unrelated chronic illness is present. Up to thirty percent of stroke victims will become chemically depressed. There is also an increasing level of stress and number of losses in later years which could precipitate depression. The rate of successful suicide reaches its peak in the elderly age group.
Depression can be easily confused with senility and can be found along with senility. It is important to treat depression as an independent condition since it will respond to treatment at any age.
The elderly should be treated for depression in the same aggressive way as those in other age groups. They will respond to medications too. It is important to be watching for depression in the elderly since their quality of life and that of their care taking relatives can be greatly improved with proper treatment of such a common condition. There is also strong evidence that a depressed mood will predispose one to more physical illnesses. After a heart attack for example, the risk of another attack is much greater in those who are depressed.
The text of this section contains excerpts from "Healthy Moods".
Illustrations by Rev. Jim Keddy
For more information visit Answers to common mental health questions.
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