The 4 most common psychological disorders in old age

These are the most common mental disorders in the elderly.

The elderly are one of the populations most vulnerable to psychological disorders.

It is not simply the physical wear and tear of their body, but this stage of life, in many cases, coincides with moments of crisis to which not everyone is able to adapt well; for example, in certain cases there is more loneliness, death of friends, mourning for the loss of mental agility and healthy appearance, etc.

In this article we will see what are the main psychological disorders common in the elderly, as well as a description of their symptoms.as well as a description of their characteristic symptoms.

The most common psychological disorders in the elderly.

In old age, the risk of developing certain mental disorders increases.. This does not mean that old age itself comes hand in hand with poor mental health, but that statistically, there is a greater propensity to experience first-hand these kinds of problems, due to a combination of factors. Let's see what are these relatively frequent psychological alterations in the third age.

1. Depression

Although many people associate old age with sadness, the truth is that those most at risk of developing this mood disorder are adults between the ages of 25 and 55. However, as depression is one of the most common disorders, it is also very present among the elderly..

This disorder is characterized by the persistence of a low mood for several months in a row, a period in which feelings of hopelessness and lack of motivation, sadness, the tendency to avoid social relationships much more, and in many cases, uncontrolled crying spells are frequent.

2. Anxiety disorders

Anxiety disorders are also very frequent among the elderly, at the same level as depression. For example, it is estimated that they are present in approximately 9% of people aged 65, in one of their forms: generalized anxiety, panic disorder, agoraphobia, etc. In general, these anxiety-related disorders are more common in women than in men, regardless of age.

These are the main symptoms of each of these disorders:

• Agoraphobia: tendency to avoid places where it is felt that help will not be available in case of possible anxiety attacks.
• Panic disorder: sudden anxiety attacks that cause the person to lose control of the situation, often believing that he/she is going to die.
• Generalized anxiety: tendency to suffer a too high level of anxiety in an almost constant way, without great ups and downs.

3. Addictions

Addictions are very frequent among older people, especially men.Addictions: more than 1% of people over 60 suffer from them, with alcoholism being the most common problem. It is believed that the sedentary lifestyle and the situations of loneliness frequent in this age group favor the development of this dependence. In addition, in many cases they do not have support networks to recognize that they have a problem, being away from their families (because their children have become independent and other family members have died, for example).

4. And as regards neurocognitive disorders: dementias

Dementias are not exactly psychological disorders, since their causes are fundamentally organic and have to do with the degradation of nerve cells in important parts of the central nervous system. However, it is necessary to mention them here because they are very frequent in the older population. Approximately 7% of people in their 60s are affected by this class of diseases, and this prevalence is increasing.and this prevalence increases rapidly in older people from that point onwards: it doubles every five years onwards.

The main symptoms of dementias are sudden changes in mood, incongruence between the mood and what is happening around the person, short-term (early) and long-term memory loss (in the more advanced stages) and abulia: lack of motivation and initiative.

Psychological support for the elderly

In all cases where there is a psychological disorder, professional help is necessary. Psychotherapy has been shown to be effective in treating the main disorders affecting the elderly, in some cases to lead to the almost total disappearance of symptoms and in others to mitigate their effects on the patient's quality of life (as in the case of dementias, which to date have no cure).

If you are interested in having a team of professionals with experience in this kind of problems and who attend both face-to-face and online therapy, puedes contactar con Avance Psicólogos, centro de psicoterapia ubicado en Madrid. Encontrarás los datos de contacto de Avance Psicólogos haciendo clic aquí.

Referencias bibliográficas:

• Blazer, D.; Williams, C.D. (1980). Epidemiology of dysphoria and depression in an elderly population. Am J Psychiatry. 137(4): 439 - 444.
• Connolly, Kevin R.; Thase, Michael E. (2011). The Clinical Management of Bipolar Disorder: A Review of Evidence-Based Guidelines. Prim Care Companion CNS Disord.
• National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health. Depression. (2009). The treatment and management of depression in adults (updated edition). National Clinical Practice Guideline Number 90. London: British Psychological Society and Royal College of Psychiatrists.