Good for the elderly
Older adults also may have more medical conditions, such as heart disease, stroke, or cancer , which may cause depressive symptoms. Or they may be taking medications with side effects that contribute to depression.
Causes and Risk Factors for Late – Life Depression Delayed , complicated grief. Social isolation. Disability. Financial concerns and struggles. Using a number of medications to treat physical problems.
This means that women ages 40 to 59 have the highest rate of depression (12.3 percent ) of any group based on age and gender in the U.S., according to the report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In all other age groups as well, women had higher rates of depression than men did.
When it comes to antidepressants for seniors, most experts recommend SSRIs or selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), which help increase the brain chemicals serotonin and norepinephrine. These drugs tend to have fewer serious side effects and drug interactions than older antidepressants on the market.
about 73
10 Ways to Help Seniors Deal with Isolation and Depression Treat sleeping problems. Promote a sense of purpose. Encourage social interaction. Keep them physically active. Make sure they eat healthy. Entrust them with a chore. Show them they’re loved. Seek professional help.
65 years
Late-life depression refers to a major depressive episode occurring for the first time in an older person (usually over 50 or 60 years of age ).
Depression impacts older people differently than younger people . In the elderly , depression often occurs with other medical illnesses and disabilities and lasts longer. Depression in the elderly is associated with an increased risk of cardiac diseases and an increased risk of death from illness.
What are the Five Signs of Emotional Suffering and the Healthy Habits of Emotional Wellbeing? Personality Change . Their personality changes . Agitated. They seem uncharacteristically angry, anxious, agitated, or moody. Withdrawn. They withdraw or isolate themselves from other people. Poor Self -Care. Hopelessness .
The five main warning signs of mental illness are as follows: Excessive paranoia, worry, or anxiety . Long-lasting sadness or irritability . Extreme changes in moods. Social withdrawal . Dramatic changes in eating or sleeping pattern.
Depression is more than twice as prevalent in young women than men (ages 14–25 yr), but this ratio decreases with age. Indeed, starting at puberty, young women are at the greatest risk for major depression and mental disorders globally.
Buspirone is an anti-anxiety drug that has been shown to be effective for older adults. Benzodiazepines , another anti-anxiety drug, are effective but should be prescribed carefully to older adults because of risk of memory impairment, unsteadiness, and falls.
Tricyclic antidepressants , especially amitriptyline and dothiepin ,16 are known to pose a high risk of death in overdosage. These drugs should therefore be avoided in older people whose medication is not supervised and who are at risk of taking an overdose.
Diphenhydramine and amitriptiline are the most common inappropriately prescribed medications with high risk adverse events while propoxyphene and doxazoxin are the most commonly prescribed medications with low risk adverse events.