Overlooking older individuals' state of mental health is a
critical problem in the field of helping professionals that needs to be
examined. A person’s mental and
emotional well-being still needs to be taken into consideration just as much as
their physical health. The World Health
Organization (2010) found that over 20% of older adults suffer from a mental
disorder. This percentage may seem
small, but individuals over the age 65 will be more than 20% of the
population by the year 2030, coming to about 71 million older adults (Robinson,
Dauenhauer, Bishop, & Baxter, 2012).
Let’s do the math: 20% of 71 million is 14,200,000. That’s 14,200,000 aging individuals who will
be requiring mental health services by 2030.
What’s moreover, clinicians are likely to underdiagnose mental illnesses
in the aging population, consequently meaning that there will be an even
greater amount of older individuals needing treatment (World Health
Organization, 2010).
To increase the understanding of the role of older
individuals in the mental health field, let’s discuss one of mental health
issues that is most pressing and prevalent among this population: depression. A major consideration with this mental health
disorder is that clinicians and caregivers often confuse depression for grief
when it comes to diagnosing an older individual (NAMI, 2009). In addition,
depression can be confused with a “natural” cognitive decline because this
mental illness can result in symptoms such as confusion, memory loss, and
delusions (NAMI, 2009). Furthermore,
when depression is not properly identified, it could have fatal consequences
for an older individual since NAMI (2009) notes that depression is the most significant
predictive risk factor for those in late adulthood to commit/attempt suicide. Thus,
it is imperative that social workers, therapists, psychiatrists, and other
helping professionals recognize the potential signs that could be related to
depression. Keep on the look-out for
clients who have "persistent and vague complaints" about pain,
"demanding behaviors", and changes in behaviors such as becoming
lethargic (NAMI, 2009)!
FACT: depression is not a natural part of aging- it can be treated!
References
National Alliance
on Mental Health. (2009). Mental illnesses. Retrieved from
http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=By_Illness&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=7515
Robinson, L.M.,
Dauenhauer, J., Bishop, K.M., & Baxter, J. (2012). Growing health
disparities for persons who are aging with intellectual and developmental
disabilities: The social work linchpin. Journal of Gerontological Social Work,
55(2), 175-190, DOI: 10.1080/01634372.2011.644030
World Health
Organization. (2010). Mental health and older adults. Retrieved from
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs381/en/
This is so true! About 5 years ago, I watched as my grandfather-in-law slipped away. He was always very active in his community. Then, he physically began to decline and could not get out as he once did. Rather than try to find new ways to involve him, his family was content to let him set home alone and watch TV. I tried and tried to get them to see him as depressed, but no one was willing to listen. I truly believe that he willed himself to die because he could not stand to be cooped up in the house. How would you feel if the situation was reversed? This is truly an issue that people in the helping professions need to be aware of and educated on. Mental diagnoses in the older population can and do exist and need treatment.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely, Dana! I am sorry to hear about what happened to your grandfather-in-law and situations such as his are a terrible reality for many. I believe that if it were a child, young adult, or middle-aged adult exhibiting these symptoms, someone would more easily recognize that something is wrong. Thanks for your insight!
ReplyDeleteI definitely think this is important to recognize. I also think it is important to think about how the lack of awareness for mental health issues in the aging population is compounded by low-income individuals who are unable to pay for a higher level of care that incorporates mental health therapy. It is essential to educate professionals and families with elderly patients/family of the signs of depression and ways to help.
ReplyDeleteI was not aware that 20% of suicides were among individuals aged 65 and older. The statistics regarding the number of elderly people that will need mental health treatment is staggering. My father in law suffered a stroke, and lost mobility on one side of his body. He went from being very active to be very sedentary. Essentially he became a hermit, and only left the house four times in eight years. He seemed happy and content to be in his home, but it was a concern for the family. He refused to see anyone but his regular doctor that made house calls. This doctor said that he was fine, and he could make the choice to stay in his home. I think a big part of this for him, was his lack of mobility. I think that he was embarrassed that he was unable to move around as he once was able to. He could have benefited from physical therapy if he would have been willing to participate.
ReplyDeleteKelli, thank you for your personal account that you shared with us! Statistics become more than numbers when we come face-to-face with older individuals who are suffering.. or whom we may perceive as suffering. I was surprised to find out that perhaps not all older adults are as unhappy as we may think... Watch this TED Talk that discusses "happiness" in the older generations: http://www.ted.com/talks/laura_carstensen_older_people_are_happierPerhaps this is how your grandfather felt.
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