Be Happy

            Over the last decade there has been a striking raise in the number of people 65 and older struggling with mental health.  This refers to a “high prevalence of psychiatric disorders in the nation's elderly population” (Persky).  This is a serious problem, elderly’s mental health falls way below expectations.  Poor mental health can lead to many other severe problems, including depression that could lead to suicide.

“It is estimated that 18 to 25 percent of elders are in need of mental health care for depression, anxiety, psychosomatic disorders, adjustment to aging, and schizophrenia” (Persky).  Even though these statists are low, it still doesn’t appear that elders receive proper care and treatment for these mental illnesses.  “It is also a distressing reality that the suicide rate of the elderly stands at an alarming 21 percent, the highest of all age groups in the United States. Every day 17 older individuals kill themselves” (Persky).

            People need to be aware that poor mental health is a serious disorder among elders.  Not only does the medical profession need to be aware on how to prevent it and/or treat it, the general population and elders themselves need to be aware of what could potentially happen to themselves or their loved ones.  People should also be mindful that elderly are often neglected and miss treated.

The media has distorted the image of having a mental health disorder has a bad thing.  This is false; someone who has poor metal health isn’t any different than an average, every day human.  The only difference is that they may need more help cooping with every day tasks.  Therefore, “many elders resist treatment for depression and other disorders, as their association with mental illness is based on images frequently propagated by the mass media and popular culture” (Persky).  To help elders get past this, the media needs to show “alternative TV programs that will re-educate people about what mental illness is and how it can be effectively treated” (Persky).  Not only will this education help people who are struggling with mental health disorders, but it will also let the general population understand what others struggle with.
            Not only is media putting a hold on elders asking for help, ageism also plays a tremendous role.  Ageism is “discrimination against persons of a certain age group, it’s a tendency to regard older persons as debilitated, unworthy of attention, or unsuitable for employment” (Dictionary.com).  Ageism is prevalent in places where elders receive care.  “For administrators confronted with budgetary restraints, it has too often been the older population that has been cast aside, on the basis that they are too old to benefit from services” (Persky).  The reason many facility might be turning away elderly people is because the society now of days focuses on the importance of being young and looking young.  Some don’t bother helping people once they reach a certain age because they believe, “well they are going to die soon, so why should we help?”  This is flawed thinking, everyone should be treated equal regardless of his or her age!
            When an elderly is struggling with a mental health disorder, they will sometime seek out help.  The first place most people turn to is their primary physician.  However, many physicians haven’t had the proper training in the care and management of geriatric patients.  This is unfortunate because if the physician doesn’t have the proper training it will be a struggle in diagnosing the geriatric patient with a mental health disorder.  “In no other age group is the combination and interrelationship of physical, social, and economic problems as significant as with the elderly. Elders tend to assume that complaints such as sleep disturbances, changes in appetite, and mood differences are related to physical problems. This tendency is reinforced by physicians, who often attribute symptoms to the aging process. Medical practice today does not usually allocate time for the detailed medical and social history that would encourage a more accurate diagnosis” (Persky).

Even though it seems like there is no hope for elderly to get help, there are some “successful program that have initiated or implemented outreach efforts to locate and identify older persons who are depress and provide care relevant to their needs, mobile programs with staffs that treat consumers in their own homes; treatment in familiar surroundings reduces the fear of stigma and effective treatment for elderly depression. Treating elders has been found to be just as effective as treating young adults and middle-aged people; supportive therapy and drug treatment can be safely administered with beneficial results”( Persky).  These are a few good things that the United States has done for elders suffering from mental health disorders.  However, the problem is not solved, there are still a number of elders being neglected, dying from suicide and lacking in the knowledge that can help them remain mentally healthy.  Health professionals need to continue to educate elderly, doctors and the general population on how to prevent poor mental health.

Dictionary.com. “Ageism.”

5 Oct 2012.

Persky, Trudy. "Overlooked and underserved: elders in need of mental health care." MH&A Getting Information. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Oct 2012. .