Depression Relief – Who Needs It Most?

Toward the end of the 20th Century, the National Institutes of Health sponsored a panel discussion about Depression in Later Life. Those serving on that panel had focused their attention on seniors and their need for depression relief.  Those panelists had to deal with certain survey results. A survey of older adults had shown that more than 15% of seniors feel depressed.

Aged men and women often fail to demonstrate the symptoms that are associated with a depressed mood. More frequently, health care providers and physicians attribute their complaints and behaviors to the natural aging process. For that reason, their unhealthy mental problems tend to remain undiagnosed.

For example, an older woman might seem to have less of an appetite. An older man might choose to spend a large part of each day sleeping. A male or female senior might complain about a sudden loss of energy.

Any one of those behaviors could be seen as something that represents a natural part of the aging process. However, each of them also signals the need for depression relief. Even if largely undetected and sadly undiagnosed, each of them puts forth a sign that another senior stands to benefit from the proper sort of therapy.

Posted on April 12, 2011 by admin