Geriatric depression is when normal feelings of sadness and occasional feeling “blue” persist. Research suggests various causes of depression in the elderly, including low levels of serotonin and norepinephrine, strong family history of depression, medical illnesses, and/or traumatic life events. In the elderly population, medical illnesses are a common trigger for depression. Some of these include cancer, Parkinson’s disease, heart disease, stroke, and various dementias.

Symptoms of depression include sadness, feelings of worthlessness, irritability, fatigue, crying spells, apathy, restlessness, lack of concentration, withdrawal, sleep problems, changes in appetite, thoughts of suicide, and physical aches and pains. Often otherwise unexplained symptoms could be from undiagnosed and/or untreated depression.

One important sign of depression with seniors is when they withdraw from their regular social activities. Rather than explaining their symptoms as a medical illness, often depressed seniors will give different explanations such as: “It’s too much trouble,” “I don’t feel well enough,” or “I don’t have the energy.”

There are various treatment options to treat depression. This includes therapy, biofeedback, medications, and procedures like transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). For seniors, medications are the most common type of treatment. Medications include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), selective serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), tricyclic antidepressants, monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), bupropion, and mirtazapine.

A frequent reason some seniors do not respond to antidepressant treatment is because they don’t take the medication properly. Sometimes the elderly get confused and miss doses or take more than the prescribed amount of the medication which can compromise the effectiveness of the antidepressant.

Usually, antidepressant medication is taken for at least six months to a year. Typically, it takes four to 12 weeks to begin seeing results. Stopping the medication too soon often results in a relapse of depression. In fact, most patients who stop taking their medication before four to six months after recovery will experience a relapse.

Families interacting with their elderly loved ones can give vital information to healthcare providers about their mood and behavior. This helps physicians and nursing staff better understand the patient, allowing for more efficient diagnosis and treatment. If you suspect your family member has depression, please seek out medical attention with your trusted healthcare provider.

Hansa Medical Groupe has offices at 5250 Old Orchard Road, Suite 300, in Skokie, and in Chicago, 847-920-0902, hansamedicalgroupe.com.