Mental health workers are beginning to recognize the need for quality mental health care for seniors.
Mental health treatments are usually geared for people who are over age eighteen but under age fifty-five. However, there are now entire facilities dedicated to serving the needs of children and adolescents with mental health conditions. This leaves a vulnerable aging population.
Many have expressed concern over the growing segment of older adults in our society and how they will be cared for. Unfortunately, people don’t always consider that seniors need mental as well as physical care.
As we age, we experience changes in all aspects of our lives. Retiring from a job, losing loved ones, and dealing with physical changes can all be major sources of stress as we move into older adulthood.
Many seniors can feel isolated once they are no longer working or their spouse passes away. This can lead to disorders like depression and anxiety.
Recently, “researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, the University of California, San Diego, and the University of Pittsburgh” conducted a study of older adults who had generalized anxiety disorder.
The researchers found that combining antidepressants with cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a promising way to treat anxiety in older people.
While traditional anti-anxiety medications can pose a health risk for the elderly, a mild, low-dose antidepressant to supplement CBT is can be less risky.
If you want to learn more about anxiety in the elderly, click on the link below.
