Old Age and Depression

Depression is an illness that causes constant feelings of sadness. It is also known as clinical depression or major depression. Bouts of depression can affect the cognitive abilities of an individual. It is not just about emotional issues, but can also lead to significant physical issues. People with depression experience an overbearing sense of meaninglessness, and find it difficult to carry out simple routine tasks.

The feeling of sadness is common. The depressed state is experienced by every individual during their lifetime. Depression is a transitory phase, however for those affected by clinical depression might have problems with their daily life. According to medical dictionary depression means "a mental state or chronic mental disorder characterized by feelings of sadness, loneliness, despair, low self-esteem, and self-reproach; accompanying signs include psychomotor retardation (or less frequently agitation), withdrawal from social contact, and vegetative states such as loss of appetite and insomnia."

Old age can give an individual more reason to feel depressed. In old age a person is confronted with issues like financial crisis, death of partner, diminished ability to work, old age related health issues, and above all lack of attention from kin. Elders do not stay depressed all the time, 1 in 30 elders are prone to illness caused by depression.
Some common signs of Depression:

There is no specific sign for depression in old age, it is same as found in youth with depression. Old people, unlike youth, are prone to under-report the symptoms of depression for e.g. they may not acknowledge being depressed or low.

Below is the list of few symptoms that can help in identifying the chances of chronic depression.
• Feelings of worthlessness and meaninglessness of life
• Feelings of exhaustion without any visible cause i.e. getting tired frequently
• Weight loss and loss of appetite
• Restlessness
• Feelings of restricting social contacts
• Irritability with people and other issues
• Lack of sleep
• Feelings of guilt
• Lack of focus
• Loss of self confidence.

There are other physical illnesses that can give symptoms similar to depression for e.g. lack of sleep and loss of appetite can also be caused by health issues related to thyroid gland. Depressed elders are more prone to feel so when they have physical health issues. However, treating depression will not let an individual deal with these issues, but can make these physical ailments much bearable. There are various aged care support facilities today that give specialized care to elders with depression.

In the next article we will talk about the particular issues related to depression in elders, and ways to treat them.

Kadji the Care provide elderly care services, it is a unique care home in Gujarat, that lays special emphasis on the overall well being of an individual.

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