While not a normal part of aging, many senior adults develop late-life depression. As the clinical presentation of late-life depression does vary tremendously from depression at other ages, this mental health disorder can lead to major impairments – including death – in older adults. This is why family and friends must remain vigilant and aware of the symptoms of late-life depression and encourage loved ones to seek treatment immediately. Due to the stresses of older adulthood, late-life depression is often more common than once thought. These stresses may include increased medical conditions, greater levels of disability, grief over the loss of friends and loved ones, and increasing fears over both health and financial security. Unfortunately, many elderly individuals dismiss even the most intense episodes of depression as a normal part of the aging process and do not report their own symptoms or receive proper treatment. With advances in the understanding of depression and its treatment, late-life depression is highly treatable and can lead to improved quality of life and reduction of the severe effects of untreated depression.
