Mental disorders of the aged

Loss of mental functioning is one of the most distressing burdens of old age. The condition is progressive and irreversible and affects not only the victims but their families and society as a whole. Adequate research into causes and cures is lacking and as the old and very old come to define larger and larger segments of the population, the scope of the problem will inevitably grow.

There is a rise in the prevalence of mental illness in persons above the age of 65, as well as tendency for the rate of mental illness to vary with marital status: widowed persons, in particular, have a higher rate than married ones. More striking differences are found in relation to social class: there is a marked trend for the frequency of mental illness to vary inversely with social status. There is also a strong positive association found between mental disorder and physical handicap, which holds good for both men and women, and for all age groups over 65.

1. The disappearance of the traditional care and support by the extended family has a negative impact on the state of physical and mental health of the elderly, especially in impoverished environments, such as the tough neighbourhoods of inner cities.

1. Susceptibility of the old to physical ill-health
2. Mental illness
3. Human ageing

1. Sundown syndrome
2. Parkinson's disease
3. Cognitive decline
4. Central auditory processing disorders
5. Atrophic senile psychosis
6. Arteriosclerotic psychosis
7. Alzheimer's disease

1. Substance abuse by the elderly
2. Social isolation of the elderly
3. Reckless driving by elderly motorists
4. Fear of death
5. Ageism

1. Socially ineffective family units
2. Retirement as a threat to psychological well-being
3. Poor living conditions
4. Negative effects of the nuclear family
5. Malnutrition
6. Loneliness in old age
7. Living alone
8. Limited psychiatric out-patient care
9. Inadequate welfare services for the aged
10. Inadequate income in old age
11. Inadequate housing for the aged
12. Excessive population mobility
13. Decline of the extended family
14. Bereavement
15. Ageing war disabled
16. Age discrimination in employment

1. Slowness of sensori-motor activities in the aged

1. Correcting mental disorders of the aged
2. Accommodating the handicapped

1. Disorder
2. Age

1. Mental health of older adults
2. Age-Related Memory Loss What’s Normal, What’s Not, and When to Seek Help
3. Senile or Old Dementia – Differences Between Alzheimer’s, Dementia and Senility
4. Normal aging vs dementia
5. Four Common Mental Illnesses in the Elderly: Learn the Risk Factors and Symptoms to Watch for
6. The State of Mental Health and Aging in America
7. Older Adults’ Health