Identifying Depression in Elderly
International Live Conference on Aging and Senior Care Agenda: Advancing Healthy Aging and Senior Care Innovation Date: May 4, 2024 Time: 8:00 PM Indian Standard Time (IST)
Location: Online LinkedIn (Join for Free): Live Stream Link Registration: Click here
Volume: Aging and Senior Care 2024_CN59_AA01 Title: 'Identifying Depression in Elderly'
Speaker: Dr. Sampoornam W Principal, Bhavani College of Nursing- Erode, India Email: drsampoornamwebster@gmail.com Abstract Geriatric Depression is a mental and emotional disorder affecting older adults. Feelings of sadness and occasional “blue” moods are normal. However, lasting depression is not a typical part of aging. Depression in older adults can reduce quality of life, and it increases risk of suicide. Read on to learn about symptoms to watch for and treatment options. Some research indicates that there could be a genetic link to the disease. However, biological, social and psychological factors all play a role in depression in older adults. Symptoms of Geriatric Depression includes sadness, feelings of worthlessness, irritability, fatigue, crying spells, apathy, restlessness, lack of concentration, withdrawal, sleep problems, changes in appetite, thoughts of suicide, physical aches and pains. Typical treatment involves a combination of therapy, medication and lifestyle changes. Though adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) has been delayed in mental health research and clinical care relative to other fields, AI could potentially enhance diagnostic, prognostic, and treatment approaches for the growing aging population. AI holds the potential to revolutionize geriatric mental health care and research by supporting diagnosis, treatment, and clinical decision-making. Gene therapy for depression has been found in some instances to be relatively safe, despite the fact that it may seem riskier and more invasive than medication. Hence, there is a growing field regarding the safest delivery mechanisms of these genes that treat major depressive disorders permanently. In a new study, a statistically significant and clinically meaningful treatment effect was seen in patients aged 65 to 74 years who had treatment-resistant depression (TRD) when esketamine nasal spray was added to their oral antidepressant in comparison with patients treated with placebo plus an oral antidepressant. Most important was that intranasal esketamine appeared relatively well-tolerated by the elderly sample. A healthcare professional will assess a person’s symptoms and choose the right combination of medications and therapies. Without treatment, episodes can last several weeks or longer. This can affect a person’s quality of life and increase the risk of suicide in older adults.
