Depression In The Elderly Research Paper

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,

There are several negative stereotypes surrounding older people and the aging process. Stereotypes of aging include assumptions and generalizations about how people at or over a certain age should behave, and what they are likely to experience, without regard for individual differences or unique circumstances (Rylee, 2015). When topics about the elderly come up most people begin to think of stereotypes like the majority of elderly people live institution like nursing homes. Other stereotypes consist of older people cannot learn, elderly people are set in their ways and unable to change, sickness and disability come with old age. When I think about all of the negative stereotype surrounding the elderly population. I can't help but wonder how these individuals handle depression during the aging process.

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

What is depression? Depression is defined by a disorder that negatively affects the way one feels. These feelings can affect the way someone thinks, as well as how one acts to others. Often times older adults experience depression due to an array of issues. These issues may include the death of their spouse, death of loved ones, medical illnesses, financial instabilities, and so on. Symptoms in the older adult consist of sadness, fatigue, hopelessness, low self-esteem, suicidal tendencies, loss of interest in activities that were once enjoyable, and social isolation.

According to the author, Depressive symptoms have been found to be common in older women. Several studies have demonstrated that various factors are associated with depressive symptoms in older adults , including advanced age (Demura & Sato, 2003; Reid & Planas, 2002), loss of spouse (MechakraTahiri et al., 2010; Nahcivan & Demirezen, 2005; Schulman et al., 2002), lower level of self-rated health status (Blay, Andreoli, Fillenbaum, & Gastal2007; Demura & Sato, 2003; Reid & Planas, 2002), and poorer physical health (Blay et al., 2007; Lai 2004).

Older adults is defined here as any persons over the age of 65. Recent estimates indicate that from eight to 20% of community dwelling older adults experience depression, as do 17%-35% of primary care patients (Gallo & Lebowitz, 1999). Here depression is defined and measured as either a clinical syndrome or as a set of depressive symptoms. Clinical syndrome refers to an individuals symptoms being present for two or more consecutive weeks and displaying at least five symptoms, as well as having a change from usual function. Depressive symptoms as defined in the DSM IV (2000)

Depression can limit your quality of life, affect relationships, lead to lost time from work or school and contribute to other chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart diseases. Sometimes it leads to suicide. Mood disorders have a major economic impact on health care costs as well as work productivity. Mood disorders affect individuals of all ages, but usually appear in adolescence or young adulthood. However, late diagnosis is common: the average age of diagnosis of major depressive disorder is in the early twenties to early thirties. Because of their high prevalence, economic cost, risk of suicide and loss of quality of life, mood disorders present a serious public health concern in Canada. Major depressive disorder is a recurrent illness

Depression has been identified as a significance health issue for the older adult. Given the

Levkoff, Cleary, Wetle, & Besdine (1998) determined through a survey that the elderly avoid reporting psychological symptoms to their physicians, because they mistakenly believe that it is part of the aging process rather than a serious illness needing medical attention (cited in Lawrence et al, 2006). Depression has different interpretations across many cultures and racial groups and is often conceptualized according to their feelings.

One of main five common stressors faced by older adults depression is he most prevalent. Depression; a recognized mental health issue Frequently, depression in elderly individual causes a great deal of suffering which leads to impaired functioning in their day-to-day life. Repeatedly, medical professional overlook depression symptoms and so treatment is not ever given to the patient. Stereotypically, this happens because many physician either overlook the problem or they realize depression in older adults is not a factor, or because the symptoms co-occur with other medical conditions in elderly patients.

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.

By the year 2045, the number of adults’ ages sixty years and older will increase significantly in comparison to a person who is fifteen years of age or younger (Touhy, Jett, Boscart, & McCleary, 2012). Therefore, a large percentage of people seeking medical attention and support in the future will be the older adult. Presently, there are many health related issues and conditions that plague the older adult, and these will only continue to increase due to the escalation in the numbers of older adults. One mental health condition that should be brought to light, in this students’ opinion, is the prevalence of depression among the older population. There is a specific concern about this

Throughout life people experience a series of physical and mental modifications that they must face and adapt to. For many, the families they grew up in are very different from the average family of today. The political, social and economic environments of a family 60 years has transformed completely. As people age they often experience changes that adversely affect their health or mental state. Changes people may experience as they age include physical decline, emergence of diseases and disorders, loss of friends and relatives of the same generation. Any of these things can lead to negative feelings which in turn can lead to depression and social isolation, frequent problems in the elderly population.

Mood disorders can include disorders such as depression, anxiety, and bipolar. Depression disorder, which is the feeling of sadness and worthlessness and the lack of interest in activities that were once enjoyed, affects an estimated amount of 20% of the elderly. Depression in old age can be due to different reasons such as retirement, loss of a loved one, health issues or loneliness. Loneliness is one of the main factors that can lead to depression in old age. Those who are living alone and don’t have any family or friends around are more likely to become depressed. It has been found that another significant cause of depression in later life is associated with the struggles to accomplish daily life activities. By just being surrounded by friends and family or someone that is supportive can really help with depression. Also by being physically, mentally and socially active can help an elderly overcome their depression.