Older Adults and Mental Health

Overview

It’s just as important for an older person with symptoms of depression to seek treatment as it is for someone younger. The impact of depression on health in older adults can be severe: much research has reported that depression is associated with worse health in people with conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. Depression can complicate the treatment of these conditions, including making it more difficult for someone to care for him- or herself and to seek treatment when needed. In older adults, depression may be disregarded as frailty, or it may be viewed as an inevitable result of life changes, chronic illness, and disability. Recognizing the signs and seeing a health practitioner is the first step to getting treatment, which can make a real difference in someone’s quality of life.

Warning Signs

Noticeable changes in mood, energy level, or appetite
Feeling flat or having trouble feeling positive emotions
Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much
Difficulty concentrating, feeling restless, or on edge
Increased worry or feeling stressed
Anger, irritability or aggressiveness
Ongoing headaches, digestive issues, or pain
A need for alcohol or drugs
Sadness or hopelessness
Suicidal thoughts
Feeling flat or having trouble feeling positive emotions
Engaging in high-risk activities
Obsessive thinking or compulsive behavior
Thoughts or behaviors that interfere with work, family, or social life
Unusual thinking or behaviors that concern other people

Latest News

Electroconvulsive Therapy Lifts Depression, Sustains Remission in Older Adults

July 18, 2016 • Science Update

An individualized program of follow-up treatment with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) combined with an antidepressant was effective in preventing relapse in patients 60 years and older who had had a successful initial course of treatment for severe depression.

Antipsychotics Use Among Older Adults Increases with Age

October 21, 2015 • Press Release

Researchers find antipsychotic use among older adults increases with age despite known health risks. In 2010, more than 3/4 of seniors receiving an antipsychotic prescription had no documented clinical psychiatric diagnosis during the year. In addition, among those who did have a diagnosed mental disorder and/or dementia, nearly half of the oldest patients had dementia, regardless of FDA warnings that antipsychotics increase mortality in people with dementia.

Featured Health Topics

Featured Brochures and Factsheets

Federal Resources

Depression is Not a Normal Part of Growing Older from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Health Information for Older Adults from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Men: Stay Healthy at 50+ Learn more about staying healthy for men over 50 from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
NIH Senior Health, with resources from the NIH for people over 60 to find answers to their medical questions.
Women: Stay Healthy at 50+ Learn more about staying healthy for women over 50 from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Seniors’ Health Information and Organizations from NLM's MedlinePlus (en Español)

Health Hotlines

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: If you or someone you know is in a crisis, get help immediately. You can call 911 or the National Suicide Prevention Line at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The lifeline is a 24-hour, toll-free, confidential suicide prevention hotline available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. By calling the hotline number, you’ll be connected to a skilled, trained counselor at a crisis center in your area 24/7.
Disaster Distress Helpline: People affected by natural or human-caused disasters can call this helpline, sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration(SAMHSA), to receive immediate counseling. Calling 1-800-985-5990 will connect you to a trained professional from the closest crisis counseling center within the network.

Clinical Trials

Clinical research is medical research that involves people like you. People volunteer to participate in carefully conducted investigations that ultimately uncover better ways to treat, prevent, diagnose, and understand human disease. Clinical research includes trials that test new treatments and therapies as well as long–term natural history studies, which provide valuable information about how disease and health progress.

Researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) conduct a large number of research studies with patients and healthy volunteers. To find studies being conducted at the NIMH, visit Join a Study: Adults. NIMH studies take place at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland and require regular visits. If you don’t live nearby but are interested in finding a clinical trial near you, visit www.clinicaltrials.gov.

Why do clinical trials need older participants?

It is important for clinical trials to have participants of different ages, sexes, races, and ethnicities. When research involves a group of people who are similar, the findings may not apply to or benefit everyone. When clinical trials include diverse participants, the study results may have a much wider applicability.

Researchers need the participation of older people in their clinical trials so that scientists can learn more about how the new drugs, therapies, medical devices, surgical procedures, or tests will work for older people. For more information, check out the National Institute on Aging (NIA)’s Clinical Trials and Older People tip sheet.

Last Revised: March 2018

Unless otherwise specified, NIMH information and publications are in the public domain and available for use free of charge. Citation of the NIMH is appreciated. Please see our Citing NIMH Information and Publications page for more information.

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