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Mental Health and Well Being

Aging Well, Living Well Home > Mental Health and Well Being

• Depression and Anxiety
• Untreated Mental Health Problems
• Staying Connected
• Keeping Your Mind Sharp
• Living Alone
• More Resources

Research continues to show a link between the mind and the body. Having a negative outlook or feeling badly about yourself can lead to poor health.

Many older women lead fulfilling lives without suffering from major declines in physical or mental health that often come later in life. They cope well with the physical changes that might make them less active and mental changes that might affect memory. For others, however, the physical and mental challenges brought on by aging can make the senior years a lonely, hopeless, and difficult time.

Depression and Anxiety

Depression and anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health problems in older adults. Depression is a serious concern for older women. Some people have the idea that it is "normal" for a senior to feel sad. When depression develops, it often is played down as a normal part of aging. Older women with generalized anxiety disorder may feel worried almost all of the time. Nervousness and worrying often worsen during stressful situations. The focus of the worries among older women is often health, safety, or money.

Before you say, "I'm fine" ... Ask yourself if you feel: Nervous or "empty" Guilty or worthless Very tired and slowed down You don't enjoy things the way you used to Restless and irritable Like no one loves you Like life is not worth living Or if you are: Sleeping more or less than usual Eating more or less than usual Having persistent headaches, stomach aches, or chronic pain These may be symptoms of depression or anxiety disorders, treatable medical illnesses. But your doctor can only treat you if you say how you are really feeling. Depression is not a normal part of aging. Talk to your doctor.

Untreated Mental Health Problems

Untreated mental health problems can reduce the quality of life and make it more difficult, and more costly, to treat physical symptoms. Untreated depression can also lead to suicide. Suicide is the ninth leading cause of death among all persons in the United States and is very common among older adults. Older adults (age 65+) represent 13 percent of the U.S. population, yet account for nearly one fifth of U.S. suicides. The most frequent methods of suicide among older adults include the use of firearms by men and poisoning by women. Most older adults with mental health problems respond best to a combination of drug therapy and counseling.

Staying Connected

Keeping up with friendships and social connections — and making new ones — is key to beating the isolation and loneliness that can lead to later-life depression. Volunteering is another way to bring people into your life. Older women who volunteer or participate in community organizations enjoy much higher levels of mental and physical well being than those who don't. Helping others also boosts self-esteem. Older women have long felt that volunteering helps them:

• Make an impact on their community
• Learn a new skill
• Expand their social network

Staying active is also a booster for physical and mental health.

Keeping Your Mind Sharp

Just as physical activity keeps your body strong, mental activity keeps your mind sharp. One way to do this is to keep challenging yourself by learning new skills. If you do this, your brain will keep growing.

These activities can help keep your mind sharp:

• Learning to play a musical instrument
• Playing Scrabble or doing crossword puzzles
• Starting a new hobby, such as crafts, painting, biking, or bird-watching
• Staying informed about what's going on in the world
• Reading

Living Alone

Although staying connected and active can protect against depression, many older women must live through the deaths of a spouse, partner, child, friend, and other loved ones. Suffering through many losses can put women at greater risk for grief and depression.

For women grieving the loss of a loved one, grief counseling can help them to move through the stages of grief at their own pace. Through counseling, women are able to talk about their loved ones and the death as much as needed and are able to regain a meaningful and joyful life.

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