Depression In Aging Adults: A Case Study

Depression is a very prevalent mental disorder that many people have in the world. Depression can be termed as consistently depressed mood or loss of interest in activities that result in an impairment in daily functioning. Depression can be characterized by hopelessness, and a pessimistic view of the world. People who suffer with depression should take act immediately in receiving help because they could possibly commit suicide and or poor health outcomes. Many older adults who receive help are more than likely to reduce the severity of depression. Also, older adults that receive help by using evidence based practice from their clinicians

Of the total population of the United States, 39 million are 65 and older. Of those 39 million older adults, about 5% reside in nursing homes, with the median age of 83.2 years (Urdaneta & Thakur, 2010). It is estimated that by the year 2030, 20% of the nation’s population will be 65 and older (Glaister & Blair, 2008). With the number of older adults rising significantly, so will the number residing in nursing homes. A significant amount of older adults will experience depression. Depression is prevalent in older adults, and those residing in nursing homes seem to be at greater risk for developing it (Urdaneta & Thakur, 2010). It is also estimated that the number of older adults experiencing depression is three to five times that of older

Depression is one of the most recurrently investigated psychological disorders within the area of medical R&D (Montorio & Izal, 1996). A number of exhaustive researches have been carried out to study its symptoms and impacts on different patients belonging to different personal and professional attributes and most of these researchers depicted that depression in the elderly people is very frequent and in spite of number of researches in this context, it is often undiagnosed or untreated. To add to this jeopardy, it has also been estimated that only 10% out of the total depressed elderly individuals receive proper diagnosis and treatment (Holroyd et al, 2000). And for that reason, an authentic

The purpose of this research is to review factors that trigger elderly depression states, their physical and mental health conditions,

Depression- Depression is a significant issue for individuals with high care needs, and their carer’s. Research has shown that the depression levels of young individuals residing in aged care is twice of those living at home, or in Youngcare housing. For individuals living at home 56 percent of their carer’s are defined as moderately depressed, and 40 percent are defined as severely or extremely depressed.

Depression is a serious mental health illness when left unattended, and it affects not just the mind but the whole body. It is characterized by hopelessness, loss of interest, sadness, lack of sleep or too much, loss of appetite and suicidal thoughts. When one has an episode, there is a possibility of having more episodes in the future. According to Statistic Canada (2012), depression is one of the common mental illnesses in Canada. Statistic Canada’s (2012) Canadian community Health survey (CCHS) on mental health report state that 6.7% of 15 years and up has depression, while 11.6% of 1 in every 8 has major depression. (“6.7% of the Canadian population aged 15 years and above reported symptoms that met the criteria for depression. On the other hand, 1 in 8 adults with 11.6% identified symptoms that met the criteria for major depression”). Craft and Perna (2004) gives a rough estimate pf depression in US adult to be 9.5% yearly and projection of 17% in the future.( stated that depression affects “roughly 9.5% of the US adult population each year, and17% more will suffer at some point in time”). As reported by Statistic Canada depression runs across young adults to adults, which implies that depression is not a respecter of age.

Depression is one of the most common cases when people feel extremely lonely and sad. Elders are prone to getting this condition since most of their time is spent at home alone or when they do not get enough care and attention that they need. Some family members somehow forget that elders are also social human beings that can be greatly affected at the event of long-term isolation. One Care Companion, a quality provider of home care services in Naples South Florida, is here to give you the seven (7) must-read ways in dealing with depression.

Adults are at higher risk of suffering from depression than children and teenagers. Different forms of clinical depression may develop under different situations or circumstances in your life. These forms of major depressive disorders are as follows:

Depression is a worldwide issue that has a harsh impact on not only the individual, but the individual’s family (Li-Ching & Pei-Ling). Depression in older

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “older adults are at an increased risk of depression, because depression is more common in people who have other illnesses, and 80% of older adults have a chronic condition” (CDC, 2017). The CDC also mentions that older adults are often misdiagnosed or undertreated, because the symptoms may be thought to be the cause of something else, or the patient doesn’t understand that treatment would be beneficial and do not seek help.

Mental disorders are becoming more prevalent in today's society as people add stress and pressure to their daily lives. The elderly population is not eliminated as a candidate for a disorder just because they may be retired. In fact, mental disorders affect 1 in 5 elderly people. One would think that with disorders being rather prevalent in this age group that there would be an abundance of treatment programs, but this is not the case. Because the diagnosis of an individual's mental state is subjective in nature, many troubled people go untreated regularly (summer 1998). Depression in the elderly population is a common occurrence, yet the diagnosis and treatment seem to slip

Lavretsky, H., Altstein, L., Olmstead, R. E., Ercoli, L., Riparetti-Brown, M., St. Cyr, N., & Irwin, M. R. (2011). Complementary Use of Tai Chi Chih Augments Escitalopram Treatment of Geriatric Depression: A Randomized Controlled Trial. The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry : Official Journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, 19(10), 839–850. http://doi.org/10.1097/JGP.0b013e31820ee9ef

Each year, an estimated of one in five or 43.8 million Americans suffer from a mental illness. Of those, only forty-one percent receive treatment for their disorder. Mental illness is the third most common cause of hospitalization and accounts for more than 193.2 billion in lost earnings each fiscal year. Depression is one of the many illnesses that are prevalent midst these statistics and effect people of all ages. Within the category of depression, is late-onset depression, referring to the development later in life.

At first I had some difficulty finding exactly what I was looking for. I wanted to research depression, one of the disorders the text discusses, but like the prompt instructed, find out how it effects older people differently. I found my source from the National Institute of Mental Health. They list three types of depression: major depression, persistent depressive disorder, and minor depression. Each is “less severe” than the previous. For example major depression displays symptoms that impact your work performance, level of concentration, sleep and eating patterns. It impacts these major, if not all, areas of life. Whereas, the symptoms of persistent depressive disorder aren’t nearly as debilitating, but can last up to two years.

This week’s lecture examines certain aspects of mental well-being and the health care system. While discussing how the mental well-being of older adults can be greatly affected, a big portion of the lecture focused on depression. As this plays a big part in an individual’s well-being, I believe it is important to recognize if someone is experiencing depression or anxiety. In the past, I remember there were times where my grandpa felt depressed whenever my family went out for dinner or when they had other activities to attend. This is because at that time he did not engage in many activities and it was noticeable that he was lonesome since he barely went out. As a result, my parents decided to take him to a local day care several times a week in order to boost his emotional well-being and to prevent feelings of loneliness. This allowed my grandpa to build new friendships and to continue to engage in social activities.