Health Tip: Depression Among Seniors

Here's a list of possible risk factors

Related Encyclopedia • Alzheimer's Disease • Depression (Major Depressive Disorder) • Dysthymia • Ginkgo Biloba More... Related Healthscout Videos Shutting Down Tremor. What's Your Stroke IQ? Disaster Heart Attacks Teaching Old Docs New Tricks More... Related Animations • Alzheimer's Disease Video Animation • Bipolar Disorder Animation • Depression • Erectile Dysfunction More... Related Drug Information • Actonel • Ambien • Avandia • Coumadin More... Related News Articles • Deadly Stomach Bug Making Inroads Outside Hospitals • Depression May Blur Memory of Aches and Pains • Sugar Shortens Life Span in Worms • CDC Finds U.S. 30th in Infant Mortality More...

(HealthDay News) -- Depression affects more than 6 million people aged 65 or older in the United States, but only about 10 percent of them are treated, the Cleveland Clinic says.

Text Continues Below

---

The clinic offers this list of risk factors for depression in seniors:

• Living alone without much social interaction.
• Having persistent pain or illness.
• Being overly afraid of dying.
• Having a family history or personal history of depression or suicide attempts.
• Having had a recent bereavement, such as the death of a close family member.
• Having problems with drugs or alcohol.
• Taking certain medications, alone or combined with other medications.
• Problems with body image after a surgery or major illness, such as cancer or heart disease.

-- Diana Kohnle