Discussion Question

Depression.html

Depression

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2009) older adults are at an increased risk for depression. This prompts the questions: why is the risk factor greater for older adults, and how might older adults reduce the risk of depression? In general, older adults are said to have fewer issues with mental illness than younger adults.

The answer may lie in a number of factors, including increased prevalence of chronic health conditions that limit function or involve chronic pain (e.g. arthritis, joint problems, or osteoporosis). There may also be issues with limited social support and interactions. Older adults may feel more isolated and alone. Loss of loved ones such as a spouse, family members, or friends may also contribute to feelings of isolation. The cumulative effect of so much unresolved grief may also be a risk factor for depression. All of these normative and non-normative events may provide the environment and conditions in which depression may result.

Ruppel, Jenkins, Grffin, and Kizer (2010) report that depression (and related affective disorders) rates for children are increasing, while at the same time there seems to be a tendency to under-diagnose depression in the elderly. This may be due in part to stereotypes about older adults that (incorrectly) assume that normative life events lead to depression. Ruppel, Jenkins, Griffin, and Kizer also suggest that correctly identifying depression in the elderly is a greater challenge because of comorbidity or multiple conditions that may (or may not) affect mood. Dementia, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are some of the chronic conditions that can all alter a person’s mood for extended periods of time. These conditions are more prevalent among older adults and the symptoms of these conditions can mask the symptoms of depression.