Diagnosis and Treatment of Depression in the Elderly Essay

Diagnosis and Treatment of Depression in the Elderly Mental disorders are becoming more prevalent in todays society as people add stress and pressure to their daily lives. The elderly population is not eliminated as a candidate for a disorder just because they may be retired. In fact, mental disorders affect 1 in 5 elderly people. One would think that with disorders being rather prevalent in this age group that there would be an abundance of treatment programs, but this is not the case. Because the diagnosis of an individuals mental state is subjective in nature, many troubled people go untreated regularly (summer 1998). Depression in the elderly population is a common occurrence, yet the diagnosis and treatment seem to slip†¦show more content†¦Finally, older people tend to have more anxiety present in their depression than younger patients do (winter 1996). In the natural order of things, bodies tend to wear down somewhat and people become higher risk candidates for various health problems. It is the increase in healt h problems that allows for some symptoms of depression to be overlooked. Doctors begin to attribute all problems and ailments to the primary problem, neglecting the possibility of depression. The prevalence of low blood pressure is one of those items that do increase as an individual ages. The correlation of depression with low blood pressure also increases as time passes, particularly among men. A study by Barrett-Connor and Palinkas indicated men with low blood pressure scored significantly higher on both the emotional and physical items of a depression test (February 1994). These same individuals also scored higher on measures of pessimism, sadness, loss of appetite, weight loss, and preoccupation with health than did people with normal blood pressure. 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