Transitions in Late Life: Determinants of Behavioral Health

or this paper, choose one disorder as the focus of your discussion from one of the following categories in the DSM-5, with the emphasis on how to diagnose and manage the disorder as it relates to the elderly:

Depressive Disorders (for example, you might choose Major Depressive Disorder or another disorder from this category)

Anxiety Disorders (for example, you might choose Generalized Anxiety Disorder or another disorder from this category)

Neurocognitive Disorders (for example, you might choose Delirium, or Major or Mild Neurocognitive Disorder Due to Alzheimer’s Disease from this category)

or your discussion, include the following information:

• Describe the symptoms and signs that are found in the disorder and how the changes due to aging affect the risk for developing this disorder in the elderly.
  • Include the criteria for diagnosis as per the DSM-5.
• Analyze the determinants of health or social factors that affect the risk for developing this disorder in the elderly.
• Examine what actions could be taken during the stage of late life to reduce the risk for developing this disorder.
• Discuss possible approaches to management of the disorder in the elderly.
  • Be sure to include medications as well as non-drug approaches to care.
  • Think about the interventions useful at both the level of the individual as well as community-wide strategies.
• Summarize the barriers an elderly individual might encounter when seeking behavioral health services.

Use research to support your analysis. Consider utilizing resources from public health agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the U.S. Public Service Task Force (USPSTF), the National Institute on Aging (NIA) of the NIH, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) of the NIH, the World Health Organization (WHO), Healthy People 2020, and professional associations such as the National Council on Aging. Your references should include a minimum of four to five peer-reviewed, credible, and/or scholarly sources, which provide evidence-based information regarding this topic and which have been published within the last five years. For further information, please review the Original Research Study Tipsheet (Links to an external site.).