Depression in older adults

Abstract

Depression is an increasingly common disease in elderly. It affects almost every sphere of senior life and is a socio-medical challenge for the modern world. Unfortunately, it is rarely diagnosed in this age group, which concerns the use of pharmacological and therapeutic intervention. The complex etiology and comorbidity of somatic diseases makes diagnosis difficult because depressive symptoms are attributed to the underlying disease. Often, the lack of treatment and ignoring the symptoms by the patient and their relatives can contribute to suicide behavior of seniors. The phenomenon of population aging is observed all over the world. The average lifespan of people is increasing, which means an increase in the number of people in senior age. Depression affects more and more elderly people. Lack of interest from family and society, illnesses, loneliness, isolation make seniors experience depressive disorders more often. It is worth taking a closer look at the problem of depression among the elderly and implementing appropriate actions to minimize the problem. The key role is played by educating society about the characteristic symptoms of depression in old age and preventing its occurrence, among others by activating the elderly.

Keywords: the elderly; prevention; depression; treatment.