When adults reach retirement age, significant changes often occur in family dynamics, career paths, health, and overall life. While one can prepare for these changes in various ways, including financially, it can be challenging to adjust to them mentally. Mental health crises are often overlooked in older adult populations, which can allow them to worsen. Understanding what causes these crises is the first step in raising awareness and increasing support.
Social Isolation or Loneliness
Older adults are more likely to experience isolation or loneliness than younger adults. Losing a spouse can be profoundly difficult, making it easier for loneliness, isolation, and grief to take hold. Many older adults live alone or experience a lot of alone time, which can exacerbate feelings of sadness, depression, or anxiety. Financially insecure older adults may not have the means to experience leisure activities or spend time socially, making it easier to feel lonely. Social time is important for everyone, particularly older adults; studies show that social activities may even help improve cognitive function in seniors.
Loss of Purpose or Identity
The end of a career is a major life change for older adults. Those who have spent a significant amount of time in their career may experience a loss of purpose, feeling uncertain about what to do next. Those whose identity was closely tied to their career may feel like they no longer have an identity. This loss of purpose can lead to conditions like depression, including symptoms such as social withdrawal, suicidal thoughts, loss of interest in life, and more. Changing family dynamics can also cause one to lose a sense of identity in the home, especially when moving to a less dominant family role.
Grief
It’s common for older adults to experience loss in one form or another. As friends, family, and loved ones age with you, many can pass away before you. Grief can be extremely difficult to navigate, especially when losing a lifelong marital partner or family member. Grief is a personal emotional, mental, and even physical response to loss. Sadness, anger, numbness, social isolation, difficulty resuming daily activities, and anxiety are all common emotions. In older adults, grief can be particularly stressful and exacerbate physical or mental health conditions. Mental health and social support are very helpful during periods of grief.
Chronic Illness or Pain
While many think of chronic illness as a physical condition, it can have devastating mental health effects as well. Terminal illness diagnoses can trigger feelings of preemptive grief, depression, or anxiety. Chronic pain can cause regular fatigue, loss of appetite, social withdrawal, depression, and more. Some conditions, such as Crohn’s disease, can even go hand-in-hand with mental health conditions like anxiety disorders. It can be difficult to adequately manage or treat chronic pain for many older adults, which can leave them feeling helpless. Upfront and regular discussions with physicians, physical therapists, and mental health professionals can help create a plan that alleviates both physical pain and mental health distress.
Cognitive Decline
In many older adults, cognitive function declines. Millions of seniors will receive or already have a diagnosis of dementia in some form. Dementia refers to a condition that affects the ability to think, reason, remember, and make judgments. Cognitive decline can limit independence and be traumatizing at times for patients and their family members. Anxiety, mood swings, social isolation, and depression are very common in dementia patients. The early stages of dementia or even mild symptoms of cognitive decline due to older age can be incredibly distressing and isolating, triggering a lack of agency and identity.
Medication Side Effects
The need for medication to manage health often increases with age. Some medications have side effects that can worsen mental health symptoms or even lead to the development of mental health conditions. Some antidepressant medications can lead to suicidal thoughts in some people. Some beta-blockers can cause insomnia or nightmares. Certain heart medications or anti-epileptic drugs can lead to mood swings or feelings of anxiety. While some side effects are mild and subside on their own, others can be more challenging to manage. Older adults should consult their doctor if side effects are too difficult to manage; there may be an alternative that works better for them. If not, physicians may be able to prescribe other medications that can help manage mental health symptoms.
Elder Abuse
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that approximately one in six older adults experiences abuse in some form. When older adults rely on caretakers and are vulnerable to the actions of others, abuse can occur. There is no specific person or place where abuse is more likely to occur; it can happen at home, in medical settings, at long-term care communities, or in public. Abusers can be family members, medical staff, nursing home staff, or even strangers. All types of abuse can occur—financial, sexual, physical, and emotional. Abuse can be devastating to one’s mental health. While symptoms and reactions will vary per person, older adults can develop social withdrawal, worsening chronic pain, anxiety, insomnia, depression, mood swings, and more. If you or a loved one has witnessed or experienced elder abuse in any form, reporting the incident to law enforcement and an attorney is a wise course of action. Attorneys can specialize in elder abuse, including physical, emotional, or sexual abuse cases in nursing homes. Mental health support can be very beneficial to those who have experienced abuse.
Financial Stress
Financial insecurity is a common concern among older adults. Some individuals may rely solely on Social Security retirement income, which is often insufficient to cover the cost of living in most areas. Others may not have contributed enough to their retirement plans during their lifetime to cover their full retirement or all their retirement goals. Financial insecurity can be devastating for one’s well-being, including physical and mental health. Older adults can develop depression, anxiety, loneliness, and other symptoms as a result of the problems stemming from financial insecurity.
Ageism
Society can often ostracize or judge older adults based on their age, known as ageism. They may assume they are less capable of performing or accessing certain tasks than younger people. For example, many think that older adults are unfamiliar with technology and therefore will not have access to some of its benefits. Ageism can easily contribute to poor mental health symptoms, including anxiety, depression, social withdrawal, and feelings of isolation. While one cannot eliminate barriers due to ageism in society, increasing awareness about the harms of ageism for all populations can help decrease its prevalence. Including older adults in education about topics such as digital literacy can help them access more resources for independence and improved well-being. Advocating for older adults who are experiencing ageism can also help mitigate its effect on senior populations.
Conclusion
Older adults are susceptible to mental health struggles, including anxiety and depression. These mental health crises can come from many sources, from elder abuse to financial insecurity. If you or a loved one shows signs and symptoms of mental health problems, it’s imperative to seek social support and professional healthcare in order to help manage symptoms and improve well-being. Healthcare teams should be routinely consulted to help manage physical conditions, including medication side effects, that can contribute to poor mental health symptoms.
