Mental Health Among the Elderly

Mental health of the elderly is a growing concern.

Think of mental health and then think of an elderly person. What images does that provoke? If you thought Alzheimer’s disease or Dementia, you are not alone, as they are some of the most common mental health concerns. 

But, aging people face many mental health issues besides dementia related problems. Depression & anxiety are also very common and treatable! Other later in life problems that can result in depression and anxiety:

• Declining physically & increased overall health problems

• Caring for a spouse with dementia or a physical disability

• Grieving for the loss of a spouse or loved one

• Managing conflicts within the family structure

• Moving in with family or into a nursing home

The APA is predicting that by 2030, the number of older adults with mental and behavioral problems will increase from 4 million (1970) to 15 million!

It’s time that awareness is drawn to this segment of the population. If more services were available, the elderly would have a better quality of life. Currently, psychologists provide more than 50,000 hours of care each WEEK to older adults! Some of the overall improvements if more services were provided would be:

• Improved mental & physical health

• Reduction in health care expenses by lowering the frequency of primary care visits

As a mental health practice, we service the elderly population by treating patients in the nursing homes and by seeing patients in the office. But, it is really up to the family or the elderly individual to seek help. Yes, I’m back to the awareness part again. Families and communities need to create awareness and let go of the “stigma” that is associated with mental health. Everyone needs someone to talk to at some point in their lives, why not talk to someone who has special training?

I urge you… do one thing today that will create awareness for mental health in the elderly today!

Citations:

American Psychological Association. (2011). Psychologists Make a Significant Contribution. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/pi/aging/resources/guides/aging.pdf

Image by JohnLucas1983. Flickr. An elderly couple attending the main rally at Hyde Park. (2011). Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-ND 2.0) Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/jlucas1983/5568304435

Image by Ian Britton. Freefoto.com. (2011). Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License Retrieved from
http://www.freefoto.com/preview/41-01-51/Elderly-People