Week 12 Slides Flashcards
mood disorder in which the individual is deeply unhappy, demoralized, self-derogatory, and
bored.
Major depression
Mental health is relatively ___ in early adulthood and
slowly ___ with age, but depression is a ___
___ in the elderly
poor in early adulthood; slow improves with age; complex issue in the elderly
Depression is not more common among older adults;
but when it occurs:
it is more likely to be chronic and to increase risk of suicidal ideation
Signs of depression in older adults is most likely dismissed as:
Old age ‘grumpiness’ by family members (ageism)
Depression can be mistaken for ____ because
both share symptoms of confusion and memory loss
dementia
Depressed mood that may be mistaken for clinical depression. Does not usually progress to clinical depression and is related to life stresses.
Geriatric Dysthymia
Less common form of depression, but when it occurs, problems are of long duration and are severe enough to interfere with the ability to carry out normal activities
Clinical depression
Risk factors of depression include:
– Inadequate social support
– Inadequate income
– Emotional loss
– Nagging health problems
– Health status (the strongest predictor)
▪ the more disabling conditions older adults have, the
more depressive symptoms they have
– Poverty
– Education—poorly educated older adults are more
likely to be depressed
– Gender
x2 as many ___ are depressed
women
___ in Canada have higher depression rates, but elderly ___ are more than 5X more likely to
commit suicide
women in Canada; elderly men
Why are elderly men 5x more likely to commit suicide?
▪ Elderly men tend to have several risk factors at once
▪ Elderly men are more troubled by economic stress
▪ Men do not adjust as well as women to the death of a spouse
▪ Men are more successful in suicide attempts
Suicide rates for all ages have ___
almost __% since the 1950s
increased almost 75%
Suicide rates in Canada are more than 3 times higher for __ than __, but the difference for those aged 65+ increases to more than 6 times higher for __ than __
males than females; males than females
Recommended treatment for depression include:
– medications
– consistent exercise
– psychotherapy, especially interventions to develop optimistic thought patterns
Antidepressants are useful, but:
▪ They may interfere with other life-sustaining drugs
▪ They significantly increase the risk of falls
Way to prevent depression in older adults:
– Help older adults improve their health
– Provide opportunities for social involvement,
especially participation in activities with children
– Support for the spiritual needs of the elderly
a global term for several neurological disorders involving irreversible decline in mental function severe enough to interfere with daily living.
Dementia
a neurological disorder involving problems with memory and thinking that affect an individual’s emotional, social, and physical functioning
Dementia
Medium to high levels of _____ have been linked with lower rates of dementia in 60- to 65-year-olds.
physical activity
____ is the leading cause of institutionalization of the elderly in Canada, especially for ___
dementia; women
Almost 2/3 of those with dementia have _______. This accounts for 60 to 80% of dementias
Alzheimers Disease
The second most frequent dementia
Vascular dementia
11% of adults over 75 and 34.5% of adults over 85:
have moderate to severe symptoms of dementia
is a progressive, irreversible brain disorder characterized by a gradual deterioration of memory, reasoning, language, and eventually physical function.
Alzheimers Disease