Aging Well: Paying Attention to Depression in Older Adults

Robert Beckum
It’s a telephone call that still haunts me. I had just finished classes for the day at Candler School of Theology and was about to drive home for my student appointment. Before leaving town, I decided to call Aunt Sarah. The purpose of my call was to simply “check in.” I asked about the holidays and how she was feeling. To my surprise, she was amazingly upbeat. Sarah had a number of health difficulties, as did her husband. All the challenges facing them usually resulted in a long litany of complaints concerning the woes of getting older. But today was different. She was very positive. I was glad I had called, and I felt good about our conversation during my hour-long drive home.

Late in the evening, the telephone call came. A family member gave me the news. Aunt Sarah had taken her own life. What had I missed? For heavens sake, why didn’t I pick up on some clue in our conversation? All these questions of guilt and self-doubt flooded over me as they do with a family suicide and all the jagged, loose ends that accompany the tragedy. Aunt Sarah’s death, some thirty years ago, first exposed me to the whole issue of elder depression in a very personal way.Depression is a major condition for older adults. Approximately 15 out of every 100 adults over the age of 65 have signs of depression. Unfortunately, more often than not the depression goes unrecognized and untreated by many older Americans and their caregivers. In fact, the National Institute of Health estimates depression goes undiagnosed and untreated in 80% of the older adult population and often is not even recognized in nursing home residents. Why? Certainly ageism and prejudice are contributing factors.

How many senior adults have heard from their primary health care specialist in response to symptoms, “Well, what do you expect at your age? You are getting older.” In fact, 60% of older adults surveyed think depression is a natural part of getting older. It is not! Because of prejudices we all have toward mental health issues, 70% of older adults know little or nothing about depression. Only 30% of older adults believe depression is a “health problem.” Less than 25% of older adults surveyed indicated they would be willing to seek help for symptoms of depression from a health care professional. Sadly, older adults have the highest suicide rate of all age groups in America. Even more sadly, 70% of seniors who commit suicide have seen their primary care doctors within a month of their deaths without depression being discussed as a health care issue.

What can we do? Seniors can familiarize themselves with the symptoms of depression as they do with symptoms of other health issues. We can all work on our prejudices and attitudes, which will help take the issue of depression out of the shadows of guilt and shame and into the light of medical treatment. The good news is that medical treatment is highly successful in 70-80% of all cases of depression, when we create an atmosphere that recognizes depression as an illness and give encouragement to ask for help.After all these years, I realize why Aunt Sarah was so positive when I talked with her on the day of her death. She had found a solution to the pain and heaviness of her life. What still haunts me in these days of winter is that Sarah never knew there were other sources of help and health care solutions close at hand. Make yourself aware of the symptoms of depression, understand it is an illness, and know 70 to 80% of depression is highly treatable.

Rev. Robert Beckum is Vice President of Church Relations and Development Magnolia Manor.