SERIOUS attention and care should be given to the elderly as they may be prone to depression, an expert said.

Dr Layuza Aliasad, a psychogeriatric specialist at Sultanah Nur Zahirah Hospital said the 2018 National Health and Morbidity Survey found that one in 10 senior citizens in Malaysia had symptoms of depression.

Layuza said the Covid-19 pandemic, which has plagued the world, has indirectly increased the tendency of senior citizens to experience depression because they have not been able to meet their children and grandchildren.

“It is difficult to diagnose depression among the elderly compared to those in the adult group because those in the adult group are more open to admit whether they are sad or depressed,” she told Bernama.

Layuza said symptoms associated with depression among senior citizens include loss of appetite, weight loss, and fatigue, all of which are characteristics similar to chronic illnesses.
  
Other characteristics of depression include body pain with no clear cause, loss of interest in day-to-day activities, which may even include personal grooming, lack of focus, and forgetfulness, she added.

“Society sometimes misinterpret that a senior citizen is senile when the person forgets, when it could be a sign of depression,” she said, adding that it is important for family members to evaluate the changes in their elderly family members and to provide them with emotional support so as senior citizens would not feel lonely.

She said many factors can cause senior citizens to feel depressed, including chronic diseases, going through physical changes like amputation due to complications from diabetes, medication that contain steroids, and a family history of depression.

Layuza said senior citizens should avoid feeling depressed by adopting a healthy lifestyle, exercising regularly, having a balanced diet, and having frequent interactions with family members and the surrounding community.
 
“With the constraints brought by the Covid-19 pandemic, technology must be used in the best possible way to communicate with family members as this indirectly helps to balance their emotional needs,” she said.

She added that based on the 2018 National Health and Morbidity Survey, other groups that may also have a tendency to experience depression are individuals who have lost their significant other. 

The same survey also found that women and rural residents are more prone to depression. – Bernama, September 3, 2021.