Help, I'm depressed and I can't get up!
Government data released last week shows that U.S. spending on mental illness is growing at a faster pace than spending on any other health care category.
By on Aug 12, 2009Government data released last week shows that U.S. spending on mental illness is growing at a faster pace than spending on any other health care category. Between 1996 and 2006, the cost of treating conditions such as depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder rose sharply from $35 billion to almost $58 billion (a 40% increase). The number of people seeking treatment for these and other mental health disorders almost doubled, from 19 million to 36 million.
It's worth considering the implications of this report on patient education strategies - especially as they apply to the elderly. What the report did not mention is that the elderly, a large and growing segment of the population, often suffer from depression and anxiety due to their failing health and diminished quality of life.
Does the growing elderly population signal a change in our culture that should be reflected in our health education strategies? Do children, spouses, and friends of the elderly need to be better informed about the link between depression and failing health, so they can help smooth their loved one's passage through this stage of life? And what, exactly, can be done to help?
I'm interested in the answers partly because mental illness is now touching my own family. My 83-year-old father, who is coping with Alzheimer's Disease, was recently prescribed Xanax to treat his depression and anxiety. When he began slurring his words and walking unsteadily one recent morning, my mother rushed him to the hospital, fearing that he was having a small stroke. It now looks as if his symptoms were caused by the medicine (whose dose had just been doubled) - and not a stroke. This possibility had never occurred to us.
Exploring new strategies
Are there perhaps other ways, besides prescription drugs, that one can help alleviate the depression and anxiety of older parents? In my case, I am talking to my father more, and reminding him of the scriptures that have given him comfort in the past. Religion can be a great source of solace; in fact, that is its very purpose. I'm also stressing the importance of
Staying physically active (through walking, stretching, and moving around)
Exercising the mind through word games and puzzles
Spending more time with friends and neighbors
Adopting a dog or a cat for extra companionship
I'm even thinking of "prescribing" a dose of Laurel and Hardy movies, just to get my father laughing again!
If you are helping an elderly parent cope with depression or anxiety, I'd love to hear some of your strategies. Taking care of our aging parents is an enormous challenge, and it's time we came up with better ways to help preserve their happiness and peace of mind for as long as possible.