Everything is annoying and I can't remember...I thought it was dementia. Depression?
Mar 04, 2025
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The criteria for diagnosing depression are not much different from those of ordinary adults just because they are elderly. Depression is characterized by a lack of interest in everything, helplessness, decreased concentration, and a depressed mood. In addition to these symptoms, it is diagnosed as depression when physiological symptoms such as insomnia or hyper sleep are felt continuously for more than two weeks.
However, compared to other ages, elderly depression is more common with melancholic depression such as loss of interest, excessive guilt, and anxiety. Symptoms such as sagging, health-concerning complaints, and insomnia are also characteristic. Above all, the more depression in the elderly, the more pronounced the decrease in concentration and memory, and for this reason, pseudo-dementia, which is not dementia but looks like dementia, appears.
As you get older, you can recognize it as a natural phenomenon and take it lightly, but if you don't treat depression early, symptoms such as lethargy and troublesomeness will appear, adversely affecting health care. Due to not exercising, the original chronic disease can worsen, and in the end, related indicators such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia also deteriorate in a vicious cycle.
Shin Cheol-min, a professor of psychiatry at Korea University Ansan Hospital, emphasized that `If you experience various symptoms and have deteriorated function to the extent that depression is diagnosed, you should actively take early treatment to break the vicious cycle of various health problems.'
Drugs such as antidepressants are effective in treating depression. These days, the elderly are also active in treating mental diseases including depression. The medicine starts with a small dose and increases slowly. Professor Shin explained, "There are patients who sometimes express their reluctance due to concerns that psychiatric drugs cause dementia, but there is insufficient evidence to say that psychiatric drugs such as antidepressants increase the incidence of dementia."
Preventing depression in the elderly requires efforts not only from the patient himself but also from the surrounding families. Depression in the elderly is deeply related to decreased activity ability and social participation, loneliness, cerebrovascular disease, and chronic diseases. For this reason, it is important to improve lifestyle habits that consistently engage in social activities such as social gatherings, hobbies, and religious activities. Efforts are also needed to prevent cerebrovascular diseases, such as smoking cessation and abstaining, as well as actively treating high blood pressure and diabetes. It is helpful for the patient to actively encourage these preventive activities and support them emotionally.
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
