Depression in the Elderly | Homework Help

Depression in the Elderly

Depression in later life is usually diagnosed on the basis of two clusters of symptoms: feelings and physical changes. Conduct more research on the topic of depression, and in a 2-3 page Word document aIDress the following:

How would you know if an elderly relative had clinical depression or was sad because of specific life changes and losses?
Through what form of behaviors would a person going through depression indicate that he or she needs therapy?
What kind of therapy would the student recommend and why? What are the consequences of depression in the elderly?

Depression and suicide are common in the elderly population. Men over the age of 65 are more likely than women to commit suicide (CDC, 2010). Lack of hope for the future is one reason people elderly commit suicide. They do not feel their lives will improve. There is nothing to look forward to from their perspective. Is this accurate? No, but it can certainly feel like life is an uphill battle, and people do not have the resources or motivation to fight anymore. How can society aIDress this issue of self-harm? How can we reduce or eliminate it?