lecture 5 Flashcards
what is the definition of mental disorders?
any broad range of medical conditions that are marked primarily by sufficient disorganization of personality, mind, or emotions to impair normal psychological functioning and cause marked distress or disability and that are typically associated with a disruption in normal thinking, feeling, mood, behaviour, interpersonal interactions, or daily functioning
roughly how many new cases of dementia are there daily?
414
what is the projected number of people in Canada to be living with dementia in 2030?
999, 600
how many Canadians have experience caring for someone living with dementia?
1 in 5
(caregiver burden)
is dementia more or less likely to be found in women?
how early can dementia start?
more (2/3 are women)
can start as early as 40
what percentage of women vs men get dementia that was presented in the graph in lecture?
64.3% women
35.7% men
what is the greatest risk factor for dementia? How does this impact gender?
age is the greatest risk factor, and women’s life expectancy is longer than for men
what is dementia?
a chronic condition that affects the brain, causing a decline in thinking, memory, and reasoning skills.
its a disease, not a natural process of aging
what are some early symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease?
memory deficits, confusion, irritability, aggression, mood swings and behavioural changes
what are some suggested risk factors for Alzheimer’s?
(etiology not confirmed yet)
(half of all prevalent cases of dementia are attributed to these 7 modifiable risk factors)
obesity
diabetes
hypertension
depression
inactivity
smoking
low education
what are some things that happen as we age?
well-being improves
we learn to compensate (and better manage emotions)
aging can be a positive experience (NOT ignoring the biological changes)
symptoms of depression in older adults are often…
underrecognized, underreported and undertreated (WHO)
(depression rates are generally lower in older adults)
what are two points about mental health of older adults?
- improvement with age
- resilience
what is the disability-adjusted life years (DALY)
a measure of the burden a disease imposes on person and society
few post COVID additional burden from depression and anxiety in older age groups
what is plasticity?
long-lasting alterations in the brain’s chemistry, gray matter, and structural connectivity in support of behaviour
what changes with brain development in later life?
- reorganizing in response to new information and experience
- brain cells growth in later life
- the brain’s emotional centres become more balanced with age
- compared with younger people, older people use both halves of the brain more equally
(key is providing positive experiences throughout the life course)
what are some brain changes in later life?
- speed of encoding is slower in older adults
- loss of brain mass in imaging
- brain responds to stimulation and challenge as a person ages, delay or even compensation for mental decline (key is the correct amount of challenge for a normal aging)
(people show a better mental performance in everyday life when compared with lab studies)
what is Lawton’s ecological model?
model that describes how people adapt to their environment as they age
Older persons are vulnerable to the ill effects of their social and built environment due to age-related limitations in mobility and bio-psychological vulnerability
what are some challenges of mental health issues in old age?
stigma
- receiving a label, facing stereotyping
- experiencing discrimination
legal/ ethical issues
- the loss of competence
