Although it’s not normal, clinical depression in the elderly is common. How is this mental illness in the elderly different from that in younger adults? It impacts older people differently and often occurs with other medical illnesses and disabilities. Frequently, depression in the elderly is confused with the effects of multiple illnesses and the medicines used to treat them.
Depression in older individuals has been linked to multiple health concerns including increased risk of cardiac diseases, decreased ability to rehabilitate and increased risk of death from illness or following a heart attack. For these reasons, it is important to ensure that an elderly person you are concerned about is evaluated and treated properly, even if the symptoms appear only mild.
The National Institute of Mental Health considers depression in the elderly to be a major public health problem. Please Click Here to read more on this topic and what can be done to help a loved one you believe may be suffering from this mental illness.
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