A lot of men and women who are in the age group of 55-74 say that
they are satisfied with their lives and are in good health. There are
bouts of depression that are found in the seniors and this is not a
normal course of ageing found in the seniors. Depression is considered
to be the most common form of health concern that is found in the older
people. It usually affects around 15-20% of the adults who live in a
community. The symptoms that can be found are decreased energy, poor
sleep and pre-occupation with the health problems that can be viewed as
the possible symptoms of the illness.
There is treatment for depression but a lot of people remain undiagnosed
and untreated as they do not feel the signs and the symptoms of
depression. The mental health specialists consider the following
definition of depression-
. Symptoms remain for two weeks or longer than that
. People usually are found in depressed moods or are unable to enjoy life
. A person can be found with a major depression problem if there is change in sleeping habits more or less than usual
. Change in eating habits and fluctuation in the weight, low energy or fatigue
Depression can be generally described as an imbalance of the brain
chemicals that are found due to stress in the life events that includes
biological, psychological and various social factors. People should not
consider depression to be a character or a personality flaw, it is a
disorder.
The signs of depression indicate some other problems or medical
conditions so it is important to consult the doctor to determine the
symptoms of depression and other medical condition. Depression is quite
difficult to recognize and that too among the senior people it tends to
remain underdiagnosed.
When a person lives in depression it prevents him/her to fully enjoy
the life and strains the health which can further cause other medical
conditions. It becomes quiet difficult for the caregivers as it strains
their health too. There is no particular reason for depression as every
individual in itself is quite unique. So what causes their depression
varies from person to person.
Dementia support for families is provided for those people who are
undergoing depression and mental health issues. Some of the common
causes can be due to genetics and family history, brain chemistry,
personality, major illness, medications and alcohol and life events. The
risk factors for depression can be found in older adults as it may be
caused due to loss and bereavement,lack of social support, isolation,
living in poverty, abuse etc. Dementia support for families helps those
people to recover who are under depression and mental health issues.
