Depression in Older Adults

I wrote this reflection for my problem identification class at the University of Rochester. The professor asked us to reflect on a particular reading, the reading for this reflection was Haigh et al. (2018), Depression Among Older Adults: A 20-Year Update on Five Common Myths and Misconceptions. I have included my reflection below.

Depression in Older Adults

This week, I chose to reflect on Haigh et al. (2018), Depression Among Older Adults: A 20-Year Update on Five Common Myths and Misconceptions. Haigh and her peers begin by telling us of some groundbreaking work by Blazer twenty years ago that debunked five myths associated with depression in the elderly. Haigh wants to revisit and update Blazer's myths using more recent research findings. The first myth is that depression in later life has different symptoms than in earlier life, to which Haigh responds, maybe. While some studies suggest that older adults might experience more somatic symptoms, other research does not support significant differences, so there is no definitive conclusion. The second myth is that depression is more common in older adults, which Haigh refutes, saying that while the evidence again is mixed, it appears that major depressive disorder is actually more prevalent in younger populations; older populations may have more prevalent subclinical levels of depression, though.

The third myth suggests that older adults may experience more chronic depression than younger adults. Haigh acknowledges that while the evidence of chronic depression in older adults is mixed, older adults may indeed experience higher rates of relapse and recurrence, particularly when they have medical comorbidities. More relapse and recurrence could contribute to more chronic forms of depression in older populations. The fourth myth suggests that depression in late life is more difficult to treat. Haigh disputes this, noting that psychotherapy and ECT are just as effective in older adults, while antidepressants may be less effective. Finally, the fifth myth, that psychological factors cause depression in later life, Haight refutes, stating that older people probably have better psychological resilience than younger folks, and in fact, it may be biological or social contributors causing depression in old age more than psychological.

My initial reactions upon reading this piece were positive. I enjoyed the thoughtful tone used in the article. Haigh and her team made it clear what they wanted to do: update Blazer's myth research based on new research in the past 20 years, and they did that. Each myth presented showed a balanced perspective, citing many diverse sources of evidence on either side and reaching a tentative conclusion in each case.

With our aging population, I see the increasing importance of this field. I felt uplifted that we could have a fresh, unbiased view of depression in the older population, and it seemed very hopeful that treatment, especially psychotherapy, could have a great impact on these folks.

As a counselor, this article made me more aware of depression in an aging population. If I do meet an older person with depression, I will remember that there are paths for them, and we can help heal or even cure their depression. I will not give up on them, thinking that depression in older people is something we cannot change.