Mental and Emotional Well-being
More than 20% of persons aged 60 years and above have some form of neurological or mental disorder, not including headaches. 6.6% of persons in this age category with a disability is attributed to the said neurological and mental disorders. The most common neurological and mental disorders affecting the elderly in this age group are depression and dementia, with 7% and 5% of the populace suffering from these two conditions, respectively. 3.8% are affected by anxiety disorders, while 1% struggle with substance abuse disorders (Hooyman et al., 2015). Approximately 25% of self-harm deaths are among those aged 60 years and above. Problems with substance abuse among this age group often go unattended or misdiagnosed. Healthcare professionals also under-identify mental health problems among the elderly while, at the same time, patients refuse to seek medical help for mental health problems due to the stigma associated with the illnesses (Bor, 2015).
At any point in a person’s life, there are several risk factors that can cause or exacerbate mental health illnesses. Elderly people may experience stressors in life like any other person. However, Fried et al. (2015) point out that other stressors are common in later life, such as an ongoing loss of significant capacities and a decrease in the ability to function. For example, an elderly person may have a decline in mobility, increased frailty, and chronic pain, where they will need additional healthcare, which may be on a long-term basis. Additionally, elderly people are likely to have troubling experiences such as bereavement or a decline in the social status following retirement. As a result, an elderly person can become isolated and experience psychological distress and loneliness, and this may call for long-term care. Mental health impacts a person’s physical health, and the reverse is true. For example, an elderly person with physical conditions such as heart disease is more likely to be depressed compared to their healthy counterparts. Also, untreated depression in the elderly can have a negative impact on the heart (Hooyman et al., 2015).
Further, an elderly person is prone to elder abuse, including loss of respect and dignity, neglect, abandonment, sexual and financial abuse, as well as psychological, verbal, and physical abuse. 1 in every 6 older people has experienced elder abuse. Abuse of the elderly can result in physical injuries and lasting psychological consequences, including anxiety and depression (Yon et al., 2017).
Additionally, it is important for the elderly to have supportive and secure relationships for enhanced mental health and well-being. Pets, friends, and family can offer such support. Crucial support can also be sourced from spiritual faith. To avoid isolation, positive relationships should be strengthened to reduce the possibility of depression and anxiety among the elderly (Liu et al., 2016). One of the elderly patients, M.R, that I attended to told me that “love is all I need. Food, shelter, and clothing are important, but they mean nothing when there is no one who cares enough for me.” M.R was suffering from depression after she lost her husband 19 months earlier and with her two children living in different states from her. She wished her children and grandchildren would visit often and stay longer when they did come over. Although her best friend of 37 years lives 5 blocks away, it had become tedious for the 78-year-old to visit her invalid friend more frequently.
M.R’s predicament calls for a better and improved approach to aging. Loneliness and isolation are major issues among the elderly. Innovative ways to combat these issues need to be created. One such way is to have the local government establish clubs for the elderly where they can meet and have fun together. Activities such as birthday celebrations and site tours in and around the city for club members should be part of the isolation and loneliness busters that can be done. Also, club membership should be free.
References
Bor, J. S. (2015). Among The Elderly, Many Mental Illnesses Go Undiagnosed.
Fried, E. I., Bockting, C., Arjadi, R., Borsboom, D., Amshoff, M., Cramer, A. O., … & Stroebe, M. (2015). From Loss To Loneliness: The Relationship Between Bereavement And Depressive Symptoms. Journal of abnormal psychology, 124(2), 256.
Hooyman, N. R., Kawamoto, K. Y., & Kiyak, H. A. (2015). Aging Matters.
Liu, L., Gou, Z., & Zuo, J. (2016). Social Support Mediates Loneliness And Depression In Elderly People. Journal of health psychology, 21(5), 750-758.
Yon, Y., Mikton, C. R., Gassoumis, Z. D., & Wilber, K. H. (2017). Elder Abuse Prevalence In Community Settings: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis. The Lancet Global Health, 5(2), e147-e156.
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Question 
Mental and Emotional Well-being
Write 2 double-spaced pages reflecting on the following case/scenario:
Mental and Emotional Well-being
Scenario:
Whether and how our personality and cognitive functioning – our ability to learn and retain information – is a critical focus. How we think, learn, and remember is critical to our performance in every aspect of our lives. Most intelligence tests taken by older people show a classic aging pattern of scores: lower functioning on performance of tests of skills such as perceptual speed but stable scores on verbal scales. Cognitive capability varies widely, even within an individual on different tests – decline is not inevitable. The classic aging pattern suggests that our ability to recall stored verbal information and to use abstract reasoning tends to remain constant. Self-esteem as we age appears to be a defining factor in ones’ ability to redefine one’s self-concept as prior roles change and are lost. Elder who remain physically, cognitively, and socially active, despite facing adversity, are characterized by resilience and their ability to draw upon internal and external strengths. Dementia, due to both reversible and irreversible conditions, results in major impairments of cognitive function, especially recall of recent events, comprehension, learning, attention and orientation to time, place and person
- describe the physical and mental well-being of an older adult. Be sure to be specific on the details, and include two outside resources to back up your reflection. One of those resources should be a personal communication with an older adult. Think of this as a mini-evaluation as to how this person is doing.