Treating Depression in Older Adults

Depression is serious in any age group, but depression in the elderly is widespread and frequently undiagnosed, and the services to respond to it are often insufficient and fragmented. Untreated, it leads to a host of other physical, psychological, and social problems, not just for the individual suffering from it, but for their families and communities as well. This course is about how to understand, recognise, and treat depression in older adults. We assume that you already know enough about depression in the general population to treat clients suffering from it. If not, or if you wish to refresh your knowledge, we recommend that you complete the Mental Health Academy course, Depression. This course focuses on the needs of those over 65 who are at risk for depression. Upon successful completion of it, you will be able to: Discuss why depression in older adults is an increasing health problem for communities; Identify the factors which make treating depressed elders different from treating depressed people in the general population; List the main symptoms of depression which manifest in the elderly and show how those are different from dementia; Cite at least seven major risk factors for depression in older adults and name the main causes of it; Recognise the impact of untreated depression on physical, psychological, and social aspects of a person's life; Name the chief approaches used to treat depression in the elderly; Identify at least seven self-help strategies a depressed older person can take up in order to feel better; List at least six ways a friend or family member of a depressed senior can help that person.