Are you a Health Professional? Jump over to the doctors only platform. Click Here

Depression: Finding answers for older people

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

The older generation, their children and people who care for them tell their personal stories in an insightful look into how depression impacts the over 60s in the latest Black Dog Institute writing competition.

As one essay writer declared, that "to fully understand the varying degrees of depression within our elderly population, it was necessary to take a moment, to put ourselves in their shoes and try to understand the enormous life changes that occur in our later years."

According to Professor Gordon Parker, Executive Director of the Black Dog Institute, the 76 entries in the Australia-wide writing competition have provided a "treasure trove" of advice and experiences.

"I believe older people will find it useful to hear these stories from others, and what they found to be helpful in managing their depression," he said.

"From the outset, one of the prime objectives had been to reduce stigma about mood disorders amongst the elderly, and, at the same time, identify the types of services that are needed to support older people and their carers."

This sentiment was underlined by the winning entrant with the words: "Lifelong behavioural patterns are hard to break and now as I write this I realise it would be good to be open. I make another mental note to do better."

The focus of the writing competition was on Late Onset Depression: Finding answers for older people and their carers. Late onset depression is when someone who has not previously had depression develops the illness as they grow older. An estimated eight percent of older adults in Australia experience depression, though those experiencing late onset depression are a smaller proportion of this group.


Professor Parker said depression amongst the 60 years and older age group is often not diagnosed because older adults and health care professionals may think that it is part of the normal ageing process but suicide rates have always been high amongst older people, particularly men. Depression in this age group reflects a range of biological and social factors.

(Source: Black Dog Institute: March 2010)


Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Dates

Posted On: 22 March, 2010
Modified On: 28 August, 2014


Created by: myVMC