Policy Brief Presentation on Selected Health Issue

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Annotated Bibliography on Depression in Elderly in the United States

Annotated Bibliography on Depression in the United States

Göran Bertilsson, Per Allard †, Harald Gyllensvärd, Anne Söderlund, Anne Tham, Gerhard Andersson. (2016). Psychological Treatment of Depression in People Aged 65 Years and Over: A Systematic Review of Efficacy, Safety, and Cost Effectiveness. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0160859

Göran Bertilsson, Per Allard †, Harald Gyllensvärd, Anne Söderlund, Anne Tham, Gerhard Andersson. (2016), on their article they have clearly stated that depression for the elderly person has been a major issue of concern whereby there is a noted use of the antidepressants on dealing with the effects which are brought by the mental health issues. There had been stated that about 12% of the elderly population above 65 years are noted to be having depression mental health issues and are noted to be having a depressive mood disorder. The article further explains the various contributing factors to depression among the older person and provided some of the therapy procedures such as cognitive therapy, conducting reminiscence therapy procedures, and many more which would help the elderly person suffering from depression to recover. It further explains that there need to be developed cost-effective procedures during the provision of care by having the CBT and the PST trials which would help on improving the health of the elderly person.

From this article, I have learned that depression is a mental health issue that has been there, and it is having a huge impact on elderly persons. I have learned there are several ways in which these mental depression issues normally exist and some of how they can be dealt with is having the cognitive treatment whereby this can be done by medication or by the help of a physiotherapist who would help one in recovering from the disorder. In addition to law, there needs to be created much awareness of the mental health disorder of depression to help the person being treated earlier even before they join the old age phase, and thus able to maintain good health and brain functionality.

Katie Hurley, LCSW. (2019). Depression in the Elderly. https://www.psycom.net/depression.central.elderly.html

Katie Hurley, LCSW. (2019), his article explains depression disease in older person whereby he has stated the most common symptoms, related medical conditions, and the various treatment procedures. He explains that according to the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry there are several most common symptoms of depression that are being observed in the older person. These include difficulties in sleeping, withdrawal from social activities, somatic complaints, feeling of helplessness, and many more which are affecting the older person's health to a greater percentage. The article explains the most common disease in older persons such as diabetes, heart disease, dementia, or even chronic medical conditions ae very contributing to depression effects. The articles also explain the medication for adult patients suffering from depression and it states that more than one approach on medication might be needed much. These include the support groups which help in establishing social support and safety talks, also there is psychotherapy that would help in dealing with cognitive behavioral therapy. Lifestyle changes such as having exercised, having healthy eating habits, would be very important.

From the article, I have learned that depression in an older person is noted to be having a major impact on their health and abilities to perform certain activities. Some of the most common signs of depression in an older person are feeling helpless, suicidal thoughts, loss of appetite, and isolation which they tend to isolate themselves from another person. Depression in an older person is related to chronic illnesses such as pain-related diseases such as cancer diabetes, heart diseases, and many more which makes the health of older person deteriorate much. On treatment procedure, there needs much patient education which would help on having healthy lifestyle living, and through psychotherapist session whereby they help on dealing with cognitive part of the mind that has been affected by depression.

Paul Blackburn, MD, FRCPC Michael Wilkins-Ho, MD, FRCPC Bonnie Wiese. (2017). Depression in older adults: Diagnosis and management. https://bcmj.org/articles/depression-older-adults-diagnosis-and-management.

Paul Blackburn, MD, FRCPC Michael Wilkins-Ho, MD, FRCPC Bonnie Wiese, (2017) in their article they explain that depression has been a major issue in older persons in the United States whereby it contributes to many adverse functional, medical, and social outcomes which are related to depression. The article explains that late depression has been having deleterious effects on the families and communities of people who are suffering from depression. The article states some of the late-life depression predisposing factors include previous clinical depression, chronic illness, drugs, and substance abuse, and many more. There is a noted high risk of the recorded figure of men having many suicidal thoughts more than women which have been observed from the various research which have been done. Management of depression has been explained that it can be done by antidepressants, mental treatment referrals, pharmacotherapy procedures, and many more which would help in dealing with the disease.

From the article, I have learned that depression in older people in the United States has been on the rise and certain factors are having many contributions to it. Various diagnoses proceeded would be very important of finding out depression and thus able to develop the management plan for the disease. This would include having the recognition of the various risk factors, assessment and their detection would be very important. There is a high risk of suicide thoughts for late depression cases whereby these people if they are noted provided the needed care and therapy procedure and being helped on dealing with depression, then they might develop this suicidal thought which is to a more percentage in men over that of women. Management of depression would involve having a healthy lifestyle living, use of medication such as antidepressants and even having the therapy procedure which would be provided by the physiotherapist.

Rob M. Kok, Charles F. Reynolds. (2017). Management of Depression in Older Adults. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28535241/

Rob M. Kok, Charles F. Reynolds. (2017), his article explains that depression ash been a major issue of concern in older people in the United States whereby he explains it to be a psychiatric disorder that has been related much to the quality of life in which elderly persons are living. About 10% of the United States older persons are said to be having depressive symptoms, whereby explains that these symptoms which are observed in an older person with depression are also observed in a younger person. The article further explains that depression in an older person is most time undetected and that the best treatment procedure for it would involve the use of the antidepressant in older person, but they are noted to be having adverse effects due to the drugs interaction with the body or even the older person be suffering from another disease which is under medication. The article also explains that depression would also be treated using the electroconvulsive therapy method and psychological therapies.

From the article, I have learned that in the United States there is a high population of elderly persons who are suffering from depression and there have been certain factors that have been contributing to depression affecting the old age person during their late ages. This would include lifestyle and other related illnesses such as diabetes, cancer, and many more which puts this person at risk of being diagnosed with depression. I have also learned that there are several ways in which depression would be treated whereby for the case of medication, there needs to be considered the antidepressant drugs interaction factor to avoid risking the patient health to more adverse effects. Also, having electroconvulsive therapy is another learned method that would be used in treating depression which has been remaining less effective than antidepressant drugs which have been provided.

Shelia R Cotten, George Ford, Sherry Ford, Timothy M Hale. (2014). Internet use and depression among retired older adults in the United States: a longitudinal analysis. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24671896/

DOI. 10.1093/geronb/gbu018

Shelia R Cotten, George Ford, Sherry Ford, Timothy M Hale (2014), in their article explain that depression in the United States has been affecting an elderly person to a higher percentage and that there has been much association of depression internet to the old population. From the various test which had been conducted on the samples on the effects of internet use contribution to depression was that there was a huge interaction as the internet activities such as cyber-crime and cyberbullying are contributing factors. The internet has also been stated in the article to be having a positive effect on mental health whereby it has helped on creating awareness and even education on mental awareness through the various social internet platforms such as Google where a person can search for information and get to learn more. The internet has also been stated in the article that from the research which had been done in the United States on the effects of it was that it was noted to be reducing depression states by about 33% and this was linked to the information which it normally contains like comedies which relieve one's stress after a long day of work.

From this article, I have learned that depression is noted to be having many links with the intent whereby the internet has been noted to be having both the advantages and disadvantages effect to depression. Some of the positive effects of the internet on depression include that it helps on relieving stress and thus helping one not develop depression as the result of stress as there is so much entertaining information which is stress removing such as the comedies and pranks which when one watches gets relived stress to some percentage. On the contrary, the internet has a negative effect on depression the as from the research done in the article, activities such as cyberbullying would subject one to stress and later develop depression.