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'Mental Health Week' Alerts Seniors

Depression is a serious illness affecting 15 out of every 100 adults over age 65. According to Laurie Young, executive director of the Older Women's League (OWL), "Many older adults who take their own lives know something is wrong, but they are unable to identify what the problem is. Unfortunately, she says most primary care physicians are unable to identify clinical depression either.

Recognizing that depression and similar forms of mental illness are growing problems that affect twice as many older women as men, OWL decided it was time to start raising public awareness. In 2003, OWL began sponsoring Older Americans Mental Health Week during the last week in May. This May marked the second annual campaign.

DIFFICULT TO ENDURE. "Six million elderly suffer from some form of depression," Young says. When it occurs for the first time in older adults, it usually is brought on by another medical illness, which is why it affects a much higher percentage of people in hospitals and nursing homes. When someone is already ill, depression can be more difficult to recognize and, also, more difficult to endure.

Depressed seniors often have a difficult time describing how they're feeling. If they came of age at a time when depression was not understood to be a biological disorder and a medical illness, they may see a stigma attached to the condition. Some seniors fear being labeled "crazy," or worry that their illness will be seen as a character weakness.

The depressed person or their family may think that a change in mood or behavior is simply temporary and the person should just "snap out of it." But someone suffering from depression can't just "get over it."

MEDICAL ILLNESS. "Depression is a medical illness that must be diagnosed and treated by trained professionals," Young says. Geriatric psychiatrists specialize in this area and often treat the illness with psychotherapy and antidepressant medications. Untreated, depression may last months or even years, worsen symptoms of other illnesses, or lead to premature death or suicide. People over age 65 have the highest rate of suicide of any age group.

With treatment, however, more that 80 percent of those who suffer from depression recover and return to their normal lives. Medicare could do a lot more to make this happen. Today, when an older person complains of a physical illness, Medicare pays 80 percent of the doctor bill. But when that same person seeks help for a mental illness, Medicare pays only 50 percent and won't cover diagnostic screenings at all. OWL believes the unequal treatment is wrong.

PROPER DIAGNOSIS. "Public Policy should promote mental health, not discriminate against older people with mental illness," Young says. With proper diagnosis and treatment, older Americans with mental illness will be in a better position to live fuller, more satisfying lives."

For more information about OWL and its commitment to Older Americans Mental Health Week, visit the OWL Web site.

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