Mental Health in Aging Populations

-



According to the World Health Organization, approximately 20% of Americans over the age of 60 suffer from a mental or neurological disorder. The most common disorders within this population are dementia, depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. As people age and their health, mobility, vision, etc. decreases, instances of depression and other mental illnesses increases. Unfortunately, depression and other mental illnesses are sometimes seen as a naturally- occurring part of getting older and are not diagnosed or treated as they would be if identified in a younger person.  Many seniors do not seek help for these issues, however, as the stigma surrounding mental health
sometimes discourages people from seeking help.

The good news is that there are many things that can be done to assist seniors in improving their mental health. One method is to focus on the ideals of healthy aging and ensuring that seniors have access to supports and services that will allow them to live full lives, even as they age. As people age, they have no choice but to rely on others more and more, when they have most likely been independent for most of their lives. It is important for them to have adequate housing and security in order to maintain as much of their independence as they can for as long as they are able. They need access to adequate health care and mental health services. Above all, they need to be able to maintain social contacts and connections with others.

Sources:
http://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-of-older-adults
https://www.aplaceformom.com/blog/2013-10-7-mental-illness-in-the-elderly/
http://www.apa.org/advocacy/health/older-americans.aspx
Resources for Help:
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/index.shtml
https://www.nami.org

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Domestic Violence within the Homeless Community

-
Image
  Domestic Violence within the Homeless Community Source: Unsplash The Facts                                                                                          According to  Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), 233,832 are people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in the United States. Of the 233,832, 50,767 are families with children.  Currently, 30% of homeless people are adult women.  (portlandoregon.gov)   Bradley Angle , which works to support survivors of  domestic violence , reported that 70% of domestic violence reports are from homeless women. ( www.kgw.com)  Homeless women are 1/3 of the fastest growing populations HUD homeless populations. ( portlandoregon.gov)   Specifically, in Por...
Read more

Understanding Homelessness

-
Image
  Source (American Addiction Centers)      Homelessness has a myriad of different reasons it can happen. The similarity between all scenarios in which a person is experiencing homelessness is that each person is human. A popular belief is that homelessness is a choice. People believe there is a set amount of circumstances that cause homelessness and that it is a choice not to fight to get out of those problems. The problems can range from mental health issues to drug addiction. There is no one size fits all, and it is not a choice.  Over the last few weeks, I have learned that there are many factors that can lead to homelessness. One big one that focuses on our class is how affordable housing, or the lack thereof, is a significant contributor to people not getting back on their feet. If you want to learn more about that subject and if affordable housing can help, click here.   This lack of affordable housing is a big roadblock for those trying to ove...
Read more

Air pollution caused by wildfires may increase risk of dementia

-
Image
  There are already more than 57 million dementia sufferers in the world, and by 2050, that figure is predicted to rise to 153 million. It is estimated that risk factors like exposure to air pollution account for up to 40% of these instances. Even when annual exposure was lower than the current EPA annual threshold of 12 micrograms per cubic meter of air (g/m3), the researchers discovered continuous evidence of a relationship between PM2.5 and dementia. The researchers discovered a 17% increase in risk for dementia for every 2 g/m3 increase in average yearly exposure to PM2.5, specifically among the studies using active case ascertainment. Despite the fact that the data was more sparse, they also discovered evidence supporting links between dementia and nitrogen oxide (5% increase in risk for every 10 g/m3 increase in yearly exposure) and nitrogen dioxide (2% increase in risk for every 10 g/m3 increase in annual exposure). According to a recent University of Michigan study, wildfi...
Read more