Mental Health
Mental health and aging
The highest rates - 50 percent or more - are found among older adults in institutional settings. Mental stress and mental illness can take a severe toll on the health, medical expenses, and daily functioning of older adults. Optimal mental health also depends on a healthcare workforce trained to treat older adults. A more detailed discussion of geriatric training issues is included in the Healthcare section of Aging Texas Well.
The most common mental-health problems among the aged population are anxiety disorders such as phobias and obsessive-compulsive disorder; severe cognitive impairment including Alzheimer's disease and other related dementias; and mood disorders such as depression. Alcohol abuse and prescription drug misuse affect up to 17 percent of older adults. Older adults vary widely with respect to age of onset. While some have experienced illness most of their adult life, a substantial number of older adults experience mental disorders for the first time late in life.
Updated: November 2, 2007
