As previously mentioned, diagnosing depression in the elderly can be a challenging task due to all of the factors involved. When considering if an individual is depressed, one must examine the individual's background, cognition, medical history, etc. In order to diagnose depression, there are written and oral inventories of a person's mind that need to be performed. Symptoms of severe depression include: diminished interest in usual activities, significant weight loss or gain, insomnia or hypersomnia, psychomotor agitation or retardation, fatigue or loss of energy, feelings of worthlessness or guilt, diminished ability to concentrate, and recurrent thoughts of death or suicide. Depression does not always have to be severe. To be diagnosed with mild depression or dysphoria, the mood of the patient would first need to be depressed for two years. In addition to that, two of the following characteristics would need to be present: low self-esteem, poor concentration, difficulty making decisions, overeating or a poor appetite, low energy level, insomnia or hypersomnia, and feelings of hopelessness (Unutzer, 2003). Diagnosing depression can be a difficult task due to the human element involved. A recent study by Jackson and Baldwin tested nurses' skills of observation in detecting depression in hospital patients. They were asked to categorize patients as definitely not depressed, probably not depressed, probably depressed, and definitely depressed. The responses given by the nurses were checked against written inventories that had been filled out and analyzed. The results indicated the nurses were not accurate in their assessment until those labeled as "probably not depressed" were moved into the "definitely depressed" category....
This illustrates that the patient may have exhibited symptoms of depression, but those symptoms were attributed to another health problem leading to the diagnosis of depression being overlooked (Corsini and Wedding, 2007).
However, the side effects of drugs, especially in older adults, and the less-than-universal effectiveness of current therapies prompt the continued search for alternate safe treatment interventions. Numerous research studies report the use of psychotherapeutic approaches and compare them to medical therapies. (Mcfarland, 2005) Medical treatments have been assessed through various studies. Mcfarland, reports on studies on cognitive behavioral therapy. Research was conducted in hopes that there would be a significant
Many experience depressions and sudden mood swings. The abuse of drugs -- prescription or illegal -- can also lead to disorientation, memory loss and having new difficulties in making decisions (Blow 2003). Given these effects, the recognition of drug abuse among the elderly population is quite an important task. The recognition of these symptoms, however, is made more complicated by the fact that many members of the elderly population already
It promised to be a very important resource to the primary care setting, but at present, the performance has not been considerable and there have been lack of funds and local consensus, which thwart its implementation (Pidd). Shared Care Between GP Practices and Community Health Teams This initiative aimed at developing cooperative partnership between these teams as well as establishing systems for proactive, structured care at the practice level (Pidd 2004).
Discussion Depression can have profound and devastating effects on individuals, including the elderly. Since the elderly population is continually aging, it is important that factors involved in treatment interventions for depression among the elderly be investigated to its fullest extent. The purpose of this study is to illuminate the effectiveness of different treatment modalities among the elderly and the influence that personality traits have on outcomes. This proposal aimed to ask
Mental Disorder Suicide- Mental Disorder Beginning with a historical analysis of suicide, the psychopathology of suicide is analyzed. Empirical findings are also presented to address probable causes of suicide. This paper addresses the psychopathology of suicide starting with its historical backdrop. It additionally contemplates the probable reasons leading to this pathology founded on latest empirical results. Control of suicidal behaviors and ideation are addressed, along with prevention and treatment strategies. Finally, the
Depression in the Elderly Although many of the elderly citizens in the United States in the future will enjoy better health than in years past, many will still suffer from various age-related healthcare and mental health problems as they grow older that may contribute to the development of depressive disorders. In fact, older people in particular have a number of factors working against them that appear to contribute to the incidence
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