Mental health in the aging population is a serious problem.
World population is aging rapidly and is predicted to rise from 12 percent in 2015 to almost 22 percent by 2050. Approximately 15 percent of the aging population worldwide have a mental health disorder. As the U.S. population ages it is estimated as many as 20 percent of people ages 55 or older will suffer from a mental health concern or condition. Thatโs one out of five of us.
The most prevalent geriatric mental health problems are depression (and its twin, anxiety) and dementia. Everybody, old or young, will feel very sad or terribly anxious or awfully upset because they canโt remember something sometime. But the two bad Dโs โ dementia and depression โ are real diseases affecting the brain. They are life-altering.
There are several causes of dementia but the most common cause (70 percent) is Alzheimerโs disease. The Alzheimerโs Association projects that by 2030 the number of those with Alzheimerโs dementia will more than double and by 2050 may grow from 5.5 million to 13.8 million, barring medical breakthroughs to โprevent, slow, or cureโ this scourge. The lifetime risk for getting this disease is 11.6 percent for males and 21.1 percent for females. The estimated cost of caring for these patients is astronomical.
Longevity means an increase of losses but the loss of our minds due to dementia or the ravaging of our moods due to depression are dreadful to endure or contemplate. At this point in time we cannot prevent or cure Alzheimerโs although many research efforts are underway. Without question itโs healthy for us oldies to keep our minds and bodies active but no matter how many crossword puzzles or power walks we do we could still be stricken.
Depression is a medical condition of the brain that is treatable. It can run in families. Symptoms include feelings of sadness or anxiety that do not go away. Persons who are depressed have feelings of hopelessness or pessimism. They may feel worthless, helpless, irritable or demonstrate restlessness, fatigue, loss of energy, difficulty concentrating or making decisions. There may be sleep problems from insomnia to excessive sleep, or appetite changes from eating very little to using food to dull the pain. Physical symptoms like aches or pains or digestive symptoms are fairly common. Thoughts of suicide or attempts are an indication of the seriousness of depression.
Many people with depression also suffer anxiety. One person I know described her symptoms concisely, โI am sad and scared all the time.โ Fear can lead to not leaving the house and being alone can make everybody sadder.
Many of us have experienced such symptoms when grieving the loss of a loved one. I came home alone by air after my husbandโs funeral in another state. I could remember nothing of the trip though I had managed to get home by myself. The next morning โ and for many mornings โ I awoke with an enormous sense of a loss that was permanent and irrevocable. This caused such deep and bleak grief that I wanted to pull the sheets over my head and stay in bed forever. Luckily I had a dog who rarely barked but somehow knew barking was now essential to get me out of bed and on the other end of her leash. I also sought and greatly profited by talk therapy.
Older adults are at increased risk for depression as depression is more common in people who also have other illnesses (such as heart disease or cancer) or whose life becomes limited from the aging process. About 80 percent of older adults have at least one chronic health condition, and 50 percent have two or more. An aging person living alone has an increased risk for dying prematurely, especially men.
Depression can be greatly helped or totally reversed with medication. If any readers out there are worried about depression symptoms, visit your primary care doctor. The doctor will help you decide between medications and counseling or both, and make referrals for psychiatric help if necessary.
Depression is real and very painful. It is a disease of the brain that can be fatal. It can also be cured or greatly ameliorated. I grew up at a time when mental illness was shameful and concealed. Fortunately times have changed.
A postscript for caregivers: Mental illness in a loved one affects the entire family. In my age group a typical family consists of a person living alone or two people aging together. Two people is better and healthier, but when one develops a mental illness two people suffer.
If a partner seems depressed, be understanding and supportive. Do what you can to get that person help. Saying, โSnap out of it!โ does not work.
My late husband died of Alzheimerโs dementia. We both suffered. I was fortunate to be able to hire help but running a one-bed nursing home for three years was the hardest task of my life. I survived by getting help for myself.
Remember the flight attendantโs words: โIf you are traveling with an infant put the mask on yourself first and then help the baby.โ The message is clear: without oxygen you cannot care for another person.
