Submitted by jill on
Depression In the Elderly is very common, but recent studies suggest that depression in the Elderly is also more complicated than we may have originally thought. At Seaside Health Care Services, we take depression very seriously and found an article on WebMD that clearly outlines the risk factors and treatments of Depression in the Elderly:
What Are Risks for Depression in the Elderly?
Factors that increase the risk of depression in the elderly include:
- Being female
- Being single, unmarried, divorced, or widowed
- Lack of a supportive social network
- Stressful life events
Physical conditions like stroke, hypertension, atrial fibrillation,diabetes, cancer, dementia, and chronic pain further increase the risk of depression. Additionally, the following risk factors for depression are often seen in the elderly:
- Certain medicines or combination of medicines
- Damage to body image (from amputation, cancer surgery, or heart attack)
- Family history of major depressive disorder
- Fear of death
- Living alone, social isolation
- Other illnesses
- Past suicide attempt(s)
- Presence of chronic or severe pain
- Previous history of depression
- Recent loss of a loved one
- Substance abuse
- Brain scans of people who develop their first depression in old age often reveal spots in the brain that may not be receiving adequateblood flow, believed to result from years of high blood pressure. Chemical changes in these brain cells may enhance the likelihood of depression separate from any life stress.
What Treatments Are Available for Depression In the Elderly?
There are several treatment options available for depression. They include medicine, psychotherapy or counseling, or electroconvulsive therapy or other newer forms of brain stimulation (such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS)). Sometimes, a combination of these treatments may be used.
If you suspect that a loved one may be suffering from depression please contact their health provider as soon as possible. Seaside Health Care Services is proud to offer assistance to Elderly patients suffering from depression in the Southern Orange County, California area.
Serving Laguna Niguel, Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano, Laguna Beach, San Clemente, Mission Viejo, Irvine, and Newport Beach areas.