Mental Disorders Among Geriatrics Are One Of The Most Costly Public Health Dilemmas

Elderly adults make up only 12% of the U.S. population, but account for over 18% of all suicide deaths which is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States (McQueen, 2012). Older adults, especially men 84 years and older, have the highest rates of suicide of any age group (McQueen, 2012).There are many elderly people who take their lives either by their own hands or with the help of a physician or loved one each year. Studies have shown this is due to depression, pain, grief, loneliness, alcoholism and career stress (McQueen, 2012). Fortunately, these are all treatable conditions that could be easily recognized by physicians and family members. Having experienced a couple of suicides by extended elderly

Mental illness is an increasing problem in America. Currently about 26.2% of Americans suffer from a mental disorder. A mental illness/disorder is a medical condition that disrupts a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, and ability to relate to others and daily functions. Mental illness can affect humans of any age, race, gender and socioeconomic status. However the care that is needed to effectively cure and help the people affected by the illness is not equal for everyone here in American, especially for African Americans.

According to the American Psychological Association, one in four adults ages 65 and older experiences a mental health problem such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia or dementia. This is quite alarming because it is known that people with mental illness already receive poor care. Poor care combined with living in a society where aging is shamed causes a major concern.Negative stereotypes and attitudes are directed toward the elderly. For

Mental illness is nondiscriminatory, can affect any person and transcends all social boundaries. As a result, the issues surrounding mental illness have become common discussion pints among policymakers dedicated or required to formulate solutions around providing the long-term care needed by many patients. Healthcare reforms and changes to the systems that provide services to those living with mental illness and funding for services to the facilities providing care have become major social issues (Goldman, Morrissey, Ridgley, Frank, Newman, & Kennedy, 1992). The reason for this is primarily how it can affect a market economy and how much of a burden diseases of the mind can be in a country such as the United States. According to the 1991 Global Burden of Disease study conducted by the World Health Organization mental health burden accounted for “more than 15% in a market economy such as the U.S.” (The Impact of Mental Illness on Society, 2001). The study also states that for individuals over the age of 5, varying forms of depression are the leading cause of disability. A more recent study indicates that mental illness in general is found in more than 26% of the United States adult population, of which 6% are severe and limit the patient’s ability to function (Martin, p. 163. 2007).

“A mental disorder (mental illness) is a psychological pattern that is generally associated with a defect or disease of the individual’s mind. It causes a disability that may affect an individual’s behavior patterns in ways that are not part of one’s normal development or culture. Mental disorders are common in the United States. Within any given year, nearly 25 percent of adults and slightly over 20 percent of children are diagnosable for one or more mental disorders. While mental disorder appears to be widespread among the population, the main burden (or threat) emanates from about 6 percent of those who suffer from a debilitating mental illness.” (National Institute of Mental Health, 2011)

As the number of the older adults is increasing so are those living with depression; therefore, it is important that perceptions around older adult depression be studied. According to the study done by the US Department of Commerce, it is estimated that the older adult population will more than likely double by 2050 and of 80 million and many as 1 in 5 Americans would be considered as an older adult (US Department of Commerce, 1995). There are many losses that accompany the aging process. These include the loss of loved ones and their independence. They begin to feel as though they will depend on their families for the rest of their lives. These factors scare them and causes many of the individuals to suffer from depression. One of the most predominant health problems in the United States is mental health. In the last 20th century, mental illness treatment has been through diverse changes in the United States. These changes have made it necessary for the policy and law makers to enact a law to protect the identity and integrity for people with mental health illness. Most individuals diagnosed with mental health illness are most often being ostracized and stigmatized. Because of social stigma attached to the individual with mental illness, their privacy is being violated and it has created so many issues in mental health.

As described by the National Alliance on Mental Illness, mental illness is a biologically-based brain disorder; as many as 57.7 million Americans are struck down by mental illness on any given year. (National Alliance on Mental Illness) “Mental Illness is the second leading cause of disability in major market economies such as the United states,

It’s estimated that the onset of 50% of chronic mental illnesses occurs by the age of fourteen, and about 75% by the age of 24 (NAMI, 2015). The most common mental health diagnoses in the United States are mood disorders, which include the spectrums of anxiety disorders, depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Unfortunately, 60% of adults and 50% of youth did not receive medical services for their mental health conditions in the previous fiscal year (NAMI, 2015).

Statistical data reveal that 25% of adult Americans have a mental illness, and more than half of the U.S. population will develop a mental illness at some point during their lifetime (CDC; APA). "Major Depressive disorder is a leading cause of disability for ages 15-44. Major depressive disorder affects approximately 14.8 million American adults, or 6.7 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year” while anxiety disorder affects …40 million…adults ages 18 and older…” (NIMH; APA). Comparatively, cardiovascular, diabetes, epilepsy, obesity, cancer, and asthma, and other chronic diseases are surfacing with increased frequency among the mentally ill (CDC; APA). The aforementioned finding elicits question about medical

Alarming statistics project that by the year 2050, an estimated 115 million people globally will be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. In 2011, the cost of Alzheimer’s care in the United States exceeded $130 billion (Trivedi, Bijal, 2012). Approximately 90% of older nursing home residents are estimated to have a psychiatric disorder which includes Alzheimer 's disease (Curlik, SM, et al, 1991). In 2003, the report on the President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, Achieving the Promise: Transforming Mental Health Care in America, recommended that mental health must be addressed with urgency in light of the prevalence of increasing diagnoses of Alzheimer’s and dementia among elderly populations ( “President 's New

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

According to the American Psychiatric Association “Studies show that seniors are at greater risk of some mental disorders and their complications than younger people, and many of these illnesses can be accurately diagnosed and treated.”(American Psychiatric Association, 2015, para. 1). Although many of the illnesses can be treated, many go undiagnosed due to the fact that many individuals do not understand mental illnesses and some seniors are reluctant to seek psychiatric care due to being ashamed or believing that their symptoms are a part of aging that everyone experiences. It is not just the seniors and their family or friends that fail to recognize symptoms of mental illness, even their doctors may mistake a symptom of mental illness for another illness or problem associated with older adults.

The National Mental Health Association reports that 40 million adult Americans are affected by mental disorders

Mental health issues such depression, anxiety is a health burden that negatively affects many people’s quality of life, especially older adults. In this Literature review we will use the terms older adults, elderly, baby boomer when referring to people ages 65 and older. “The rate of suicide in those aged 65 years and over has been increasing over the past three decades in most industrialized countries, with marked increases in both attempted suicides and death by suicide in the late 1980s” (Deuter, 2016). Older adults in the United States and many countries around the world die by suicide at elevated rates compared with younger adults (Conwell, and Van Orden, 2016). In addition to the age different, suicide seem to affect man and women differently with the baby boomer population. Men die more from suicide compare to women, even though females suicide attempt rate is higher (Heisel, 2006). Deuter reports that, in 2013, 7215 people aged 65 years and over died by suicide the USA, which accounts for 17.5% of the national total of suicide deaths (2016). The elevation of suicide in the elder is not only limited to the United States. According to Conwell (2013), the number of adults 65 year and older who died in the US is 6000 and 20,000 died worldwide, in 2010. The elderly population have become increasing prone to committing suicide and considered to be a population at risk. We will focus on the cause, challenges/controversy, and solutions that were used to address the issue of