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Attitudes
about aging may keep older adults from reporting their symptoms
of depression to their physician, according to a study presented
at the 2002 annual meeting of the American Geriatrics Society.
Researchers
at the UCLA School of Medicine surveyed more than 400 adults
age 65 and older, separating them into two groups: those who
believed that depression is a function of aging, and those
who did not.
Responders
who attributed depression to aging were six times more likely
to doubt the importance of talking to their doctor than those
who did not believe that depression was linked to age.
Older
adults suffering from depression who saw the condition as
being unrelated to age were much more likely to feel it was
important to seek medical help.
The belief
that depression is a normal part of aging may contribute to
inadequate treatment for a condition that affects people of
all ages. Researchers stress the need for public health initiatives
that will "educate older adults that depression is not
a normal part of aging."
Source:
Depression Week
of May 26, 2002
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