Aging with Depression

Depression effects 9.5 percent of the U.S. per year ranging from eighteen years of age and older, with a 15 percent suicide rate. By the year 2020, depression will be the world's second largest killer next to heart disease.  This disease actually costs employers $51 billion due to reduced productivity caused by absent employees.  Short-term depression is usually caused by extreme trauma or loss, where long-term depression is caused by childhood trauma.  Although these numbers are an overall picture, there are approximately 6 million elderly affected by this disorder.

Elderly persons have been found to be more likely to commit suicide and it has been noted that persons between 80 and 84 years of age are twice as likely to commit suicide than the general population.  There really has not been much study done on elderly depression, whether from ignorance or focus on other medical conditions, more readily noted and treatable in elderly patients.

Since elderly people are expected to slow down as they age and hit retirement, physicians & family may sometimes miss the signs and symptoms.  Depression tends to last longer in the elderly, which can also increase their risk of death due to heart disease.  Symptoms to watch for are increased sleep, headaches, uncontrollable crying, difficulty concentrating, irritability, loss of pleasure in things that were once enjoyable, and many, many others, including talking of committing suicide.  There are warning signs for suicide as well, pay close attention for these signs.