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.
What Are the Main Causes of Depression ? Abuse. Past physical, sexual, or emotional abuse can increase the vulnerability to clinical depression later in life. Certain medications. Conflict. Death or a loss. Genetics. Major events. Other personal problems. Serious illnesses.
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.
They slow down, speak more slowly, move about as if carrying a weight on their shoulders and dragging weights around their ankles. Even periods of mild depression show in facial expressions and gestures, both of which reduce in number.
Most of Europe have similar views of old age to the World Health Organisation, believing old age starts at 65 years of age . In America, one researcher found that you are considered old at 70 to 71 years of age for men and 73 to 73 for women. Just under a decade ago in Britain, people believed old age started at 59.
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.
An enlarged and hyperactive amygdala, along with abnormal activity in other parts of the brain , can result in disturbances in sleep and activity patterns. It can also cause the body to release irregular amounts of hormones and other chemicals in the body, leading to further complications.
Basic and clinical studies demonstrate that depression is associated with reduced size of brain regions that regulate mood and cognition, including the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus, and decreased neuronal synapses in these areas.
What Are the Main Causes of Depression? Abuse. Past physical, sexual, or emotional abuse can cause depression later in life. Certain medications . Conflict. Death or a loss. Genetics. Major events. Other personal problems. Serious illnesses .
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 ).
Choice of antidepressant The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and the newer antidepressants buproprion , mirtazapine , moclobemide , and venlafaxine (a selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor or SNRI) are all relatively safe in the elderly.
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 affects your mood, thoughts, feelings, behaviors and physical health. Severe depression can result in losing the ability to feel pleasure in the things you once enjoyed. It can also cause you to withdraw from your social relationships even from people to whom you are closest.
“Not only are people with some of the major neurologic conditions more likely to develop depression , but a history of depression is associated with a higher risk of developing several of the neurologic conditions, such as epilepsy, migraine, stroke, Parkinson’s disease , and dementia,” said Dr. Kanner.