Member-only story
Causes and characteristics of depressive conditions in old age
Depression is an emotional condition that is often observed in older people. The risk of depression in old age is higher than in other life stages. The highest prevalence of depression is found in people aged 60–75 years, with women at this age being depressed at approximately three times the rate of men.
According to doctors, symptoms of depression are observed in 40–45% of elderly patients who consult a doctor for various diseases. The prevalence of depression is much higher among disabled and lonely people, as well as those in hospitals and nursing homes. Depression significantly aggravates the course of somatic diseases, negatively affects a person’s psychological state, and is the main cause of suicide among older people.
In this article we will talk about subclinical depression — a depressive state that occurs without significant disruption of a person’s life, which does not require drug treatment and does not require the intervention of a psychiatrist.
Depression often begins as a reaction to aging and approaching death. Aging itself causes depressive feelings in many people, as it is associated with physical frailty and the approaching end of life.
People may be frightened by the fact that they will no longer be needed, will become helpless and lonely…
