Understanding Poor Mental Health in the Elderly

Introduction

Senior citizens are very susceptible to mental disorders. In the US alone - statistics show that out of 100 elderly persons, 15 to 25 suffer from poor mental health. The saddest part however, is that these numbers are constantly growing. There can a number of factors which affect elderly mental health. These factors could include malfunctioning of the nervous system, financial worries, emotional problems, neglect from society, genetic disorders, heart problems and so on. Also, the mental health elderly constantly keeps deteriorating because of the fact that old persons do not feel comfortable to seek help when affected by mental disorders. Some do not even realise that they are suffering from poor mental health.

History

 Elderly mental health is influenced by a number of conditions; let us examine a few of them:

1) Depression: This is the most widespread mental illness among senior citizens. Old people often undergo a feeling of incompetence and worthlessness. This is because of the fact they find it hard to acknowledge that they are past their prime. Often, elderly persons are lonely and face financial difficulties. All these factors can lead to depression. Depression is the starting point for most mental and physical disorders. Symptoms of depression generally include a sudden loss or increase in appetite, insomnia, forgetfulness, dejectedness, confusion, fatigue, irate behaviour and body aches. The mental health elderly persons can be significantly improved if their loved ones pay attention to their happiness and well being. Depression can be reversed fairly easily through the help of a qualified psychiatrist. Engaging in recreational activities can also help an individual to combat depression.

2) Dementia: Dementia is one of the most common problems related to mental health elderly persons. As the name suggests – dementia causes a person to become demented. It affects certain parts of the brain resulting in the impairment of certain mental and physical capabilities of an individual. Common symptoms include loss of memory, loss in the sense of orientation, inability to move certain parts of the body and problems in speaking. There are several types of dementia which affect the mental health elderly persons. Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, vascular dementia and mixed dementia are some of the commonly observed types.

Features

 3) Alzheimer’s disease: Alzheimer’s disease is among the top 5 major causes of death in the United States. There is a certain part of the brain which is responsible for memory. When a person suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, the brain cells in this part of the memory begin to gradually die out. This causes a progressive decline in memory. A patient suffering from Alzheimer’s starts to become increasingly forgetful until the condition becomes quite acute. If the Alzheimer’s disease becomes severe, then the person suffering from it is not even capable of carrying on a normal conversation. Unfortunately, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease. However, certain medications can be prescribed to slow down the effects of the disease. The mental health elderly persons is largely affected by Alzheimer’s disease. It accounts for 60-80 percent of all cases of dementia.

 

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