a post by Meg Stapleton (Senior Policy Officer, Independent Age) for the Centre for Mental Health blog
Public awareness is constantly growing and feeding into a ground-breaking change in how we talk about and support good mental health. However, when it comes to older people’s mental health, this is not always the case.
What about older people’s mental health?
As we grow older, we can experience a range of mental health issues, from low-level anxiety to more severe conditions like schizophrenia. Depression is the most common issue, affecting 22% of men and 28% of women aged 65+. The risk increases the older you get, with even higher rates among people aged 85+. Depression is also estimated to affect 40% of older people living in care homes.
The things that affect older people’s mental health are not unlike the ones affecting people of all ages – bereavement, loneliness and social isolation, being a carer or having a health condition. Older people may experience a combination of these, or they could happen in succession in a short space of time, potentially making them even more vulnerable to poor mental health.
Personally I got so tired of saying “it is not just my age” that I think my GP got equally tired of hearing it and actually did something.
Now, unfortunately, I have been diagnosed with several physical health problems. I wish talking therapy could deal with those as well!
Labels:
older_people, mental_health, therapy,
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