Mental health problems are so often spoken approximately in relation to the young. But support is out there for older people tooNearly half of all adults surveyed for AgeUK say they maintain experienced depression or anxiety,but many feel they maintain to keep a stiff upper lip and soldier on rather than seek support. There has been some great work in raising awareness and tackling the stigma of mental health problems, spearheaded by the glamorous young royals, and but it tends to be aimed at young people,with little or no emphasis on elderly people. For them it’s a triple whammy: they are less likely to seek support, GPs may not recognise the signs, or society may expect depression to be a natural consequence of ageing,loss and loneliness.
NHS England is encouraging GPs to eye out for mental health problems in older patients, and offer interventions – talking therapies or medication – as appropriate. But is it sincere that depression is an inevitable piece of ageing? Is the older generation more stoical? Are the young more flaky? And how can you tell if you maintain depression yourself, and if an older friend or relative is suffering unnecessarily?Continue reading...
Source: guardian.co.uk