Essay On Mental Health Wellness Among Elderly People

 

Mental health refers to the behavioral, cognitive and emotional wellbeing of any individual. According to WHO, mental health is regarded as a state of wellbeing of any individual which helps in realizing his or her own abilities to cope up with the stress and able to make proper contribution to the community (Lasiello and Van Agteren 2020). There exists a link between older age and mental health issue which deteriorates the quality of life of the elderly population (Foong et al. 2021). The two most common mental health illness which is prevalent among the elderly population includes depression and dementia. The following paper will discuss about the main determinants of poor mental health, effect upon health and preventive steps for the older adults.

 

The most common mental health condition which is common among the elderly population includes depression which impacts almost 28% of the females and 22% of the women above the age of 65. The statistics highlights that 1 in 4 older people suffers from mental illness in United Kingdom and 7% of the older adult above the age of 65 is referred to the NHS counselling (Ageuk.org, 2022). It is stated that the condition of mental illness is not a part of normal aging process which mostly occurs due to prolonged period of physical illness which also triggers or exacerbate the mental health issues. The older adult suffers from various diseases which also impacts the mental health. Hence, there exist a close relationship between mental and physical health which needs a proper integrated treatment rather than a specific condition (england.nhs.uk, 2022).

 

There is a relation between the society and health where adults who are socially active has the lower risk of developing social isolation. Social isolation is one of the common factors which increases the risk of developing depression among the older adult. There are studies which supports the fact that increase risk of social isolation increases the risk of developing depression and even other chronic disorder. Yang et al., (2016) stated that there is a strong relationship between the health, longevity and social relationships. The study helps in integrating the biological and social relations which impacts the quality of life of the individuals. The study also stated that a higher number of social integrations is associated with the lower risk of developing psychological and physiological dysregulation in later and early life. The result of the study stated that social isolation increases the risk of developing inflammation by same magnitude as adolescent. It is also determined the social isolation also impact the health by increasing the chance of developing diabetes in older age and limiting the functional and structural dimensions which impacts the social relationship. Another study Jang et al., (2020) stated that depression is one of the leading causes of disability which is reported by almost 264 million people all over the world which impacts the physical health of the patient and altering the behaviour. The result of the study stated that both women and men did not practice proper health behaviour which increases the risk of developing depression. The older adults face difficulty in managing their condition and the participants who did not practice any kind of health behaviour such as physical activity has an increase risk of developing depression.

 

It is stated that social determinants of health play an essential role in determining the consequences of mental illness. The older population is found to have poor socio-economic status which deteriorates the overall health outcome of the individual by providing negative effect upon the health of the older adults. It is determined that the social determinants of health help scene making healthy lifestyle and health choices which overall increases the health of the individual (McMaughan et al. 2020).

 

The main social determinants of health which can increase the chance of developing mental illness among the elderly population includes lack of proper economic stability, lack of proper education and understanding in managing chronic diseases and lastly lack of proper social support impacts the overall mental health of the older adult. It can be stated that the decline in economic growth increases the pressure upon the older adult which reduces the accessibility towards proper housing, food and other healthcare services by increasing the chance of developing excessive stress among the elderly population including the chance of developing anxiety and depression (Zhang et al. 2022).

 

It can be stated that disparities in income and wealth limits the accessibility towards various location and it increases in adequate chance of assessing proper policies by reducing the participation of the older adult in various areas by increasing the chance of developing mental illness and lack of proper empowerment and equity in assessing care triggers the chance of developing prolonged illness which is linked with lack of proper mental well-being among the older adult (Malicka et al. 2022). Another social determinant of health which impacts the health of the older adult includes health literacy which affects the accessibility of the older adults in various strategies and intervention within the community. Panagioti et al., (2018) stated that the level of health literacy is critical in managing long-term health conditions. The study clearly highlighted the fact that poor health literacy among the older population is found to reduce the quality-of-life domain by affecting the psychological, physical, social and environment and relationship and it requires the development of lack of proper social support, prolonged period of depression.  Hence in this case poor health literacy can be considered as one of the indicators of poor quality of life which impacts the mental wellbeing of the population. The lack of proper accessibility towards health care service and improper housing also impacts the mental health of the older adult.  It is stated that a proper family support needs to be provided to the older adult in order to cope up with the challenges and reducing the stress related to hospitalization, health literacy and social isolation must be addressed for improving the well-being and quality of life (Jung et al. 2022).

 

It is evident that the health inequalities also impact the quality of life of the older adults which causes complications. Similarly, development of complications increases the risk of economic disparities. Frank et al.., (2019) stated that among the older adults with Medicare beneficiaries above 65 years the participants with self-reported vision impairment at baseline had an increase challenge in describing the depression and anxiety among the older adult in comparison to other individual suffering from mental health symptoms. Rice et al., (2019) stated that the older adult with HIV experiences higher rate of stigma which reduces the accessibility in healthcare services. The result of the study highlighted that lack of proper consideration and increase stigma faced by the older adult suffering from HIV has higher risk of developing depression which requires proper support and coping strategies. The issue of stigma is mostly faced due to mental health condition and colour. Budhwani and De (2019) stated that the effects of stigma on mental and physical health were significant and perceived stigma is associated with poor physical and mental health which increased 61% of depression cases among the older adults in comparison to younger once. The study also emphasized upon the fact that dropping apparent stigma in clinical locations might produce better psychological and physical well-being consequences in minority patients thus dropping health inequalities. 

 

It has been reported that almost 1 in 4 million older adults residing in United Kingdom is lonely which impacts their mental wellbeing. Social isolation impacts the interaction between the family and friends by developing the risk of depression, hypertension and anxiety. Robb et al. (2020) stated that the pandemic situation increases the risk of developing negative impact upon the health and wellbeing. The study highlighted that social distancing can be regarded as one of the main reasons which increases the risk of developing social isolation. The result of the study clearly addresses the fact that there exists a negative association between the worsening condition of depression and development of loneliness which requires proper attention and intervention in order to support the mental health of the older adult. Malhotra et al. (2021) performed the study for determining the relationship between health expectancy and loneliness among the older adult by conducting a longitudinal population-based study. The study highlighted that the impact of loneliness is found to affect the total life expectancy of the older adult which can be determined by longitudinal survey by understanding the factors. The result of the study clearly addresses the fact that at the age of 60, 70 and 80 there exists lack of proper adherence towards the treatment process which impacts the quality of life along with that it also lowers the chance of independent living and it also impacts the daily activity of the older adult.  Hence in this case a proper identification and management of social isolation and loneliness might be determined for the older adult for implementing proper care and prevention.

 

One of the main factors which is found to lower the accessibility of the older adults in various preventive strategies and intervention includes immobility and poor level of health literacy. The health inequalities occur due to lack of proper communication and understanding of the intervention which impacts the accessibility. The lack of proper accessibility occurs due to mobility which is affected by age as the older adult. The other factor includes increase discrimination and stigmatisation which impacts the health of the older adults. It is reported that the incidence of health inequality is a particular type of concern in United Kingdom which increases the burden of disease among the older adults (Wang et al. 2022). Almost two third of the population has a limiting long-term disabilities or illness among the older adults above the age of 55. Watkinson et al., (2021) stated that the older population residing in England is increasing due to various ethnic cultures which also indicates the high prevalence of ethnic inequality which existed among the health of the older adult. The result of the study highlighted the fact that the health-related quality of life was found to be decreased among the older adult belonging to diverse ethnic group and the inequality increased due to the prevalence of long-term multiple morbidity,  experience of primary  health care service,  lack of proper support from the local health care services,  lower prevalence of self confidence in managing the health condition and lastly the rate is found to be higher among the population with increased rate of social deprivation.

 

Abdi et al., (2019) stated that there are various unmet needs of the older adult which needs proper support in order to address the increasing challenges faced by the older adult.  The study highlighted that addressing the unmet need is becoming one of the urgent public health priorities for the older adult in the United Kingdom which need to be addressed by the government and to increase the support for the older adult and hence improving the quality of life. The result of the study highlighted the fact that the older adult faces a wide range of issues due to chronic disease conditions such as lack of proper social relationship and activity, lack of proper psychological health intervention and various types of activities related to self-care, mobility and domestic life.  The study also highlighted that the older adult faces challenges due to lack of proper understanding and poor communication which reduces the chance of proper access towards coordinator services, lack of proper information about the services and discrimination faced by the older adult which impressed with the quality of life.

 

 

Lack of proper diagnosis and preventive awareness program increases the risk of developing mental illness among the older adults. The incidence of dementia and depression is found to be higher among the population. It is stated that the total prevalence of dementia in United Kingdom is 7.1% among the older adult above the age of 65. It is stated that 1 in every 79 older adults in entire United Kingdom suffers from mental illness. Wittenber et al. (2019) stated that among the 69000 individuals with dementia, 565000 received unpaid care. The total annual cost of dementia in England is £24.2 billion in 2015 out that 42% were unpaid care. The study also highlighted that the social cost is three times higher than health care cost. The study highlighted that the total cost of mild, moderate and severe were £3.2 billion, £6.9 billion, and £14.1 billion. Hence, in this case the total cost of dementia is huge which impacts the health of the older adults. It is also determined that the prevalence of depression in United England is 8.7% and the incidence is higher among the women in comparison to men which is associated with functional disability, social deprivation and co-morbid medical disorder.

 

The preventive interventions include lowering the triggering factors, providing practical support, empowering the older adults, implementing motivational therapy and recommending proper medication. Dunphy et al. (2019) highlighted that creative art intervention including music modalities, dance movement, introducing various art forms and drama helps in improving the mental condition by preventing the chance of developing depression among the older adult.  The result of the study indicated that creative art therapists can be involved in improving the quality of life and empowering the older adult to increase self-care and to prevent the chance of developing depression. The study highlighted that the change occurs due to increased muscle strength, endorphin release and improving the cultural and social structure helps in reducing the depression symptoms among the older patient which can be implemented for improving the quality of life. Gilbody et al. (2017) stated that implementing proper collaborative care for the older adult helps in preventing the chance of developing depression among the population in comparison to the usual care.

 

The older adults can be provided with proper motivational and exercise intervention in order to improve their physical and mental health. Sondell et al. (2018) stated that proper motivation needs to be provided to the older adult in order to empower the individual and increase the accessibility towards various non pharmacological interventions including exercise which is essential for preventing the chance of dementia. The result of the study highlighted that motivation among the older adult was found to be very high during the exercise session including involvement in the social activity which clearly address to the fact that motivational intervention helps in improving the accessibility towards various program including exercise among the patient in comparison to other intervention and it also reduces the chance of developing dementia progression and associated complicated.

 

The risk factors related to poor lifestyle such as exercises, poor diet and obesity needs to be considered at the community people by the nurses. The nurses in this case must implement proper health promotional plan by involving the patient’s family in telehealth services for delivering follow-up strategies and improving the quality of life. The nurses must provide proper health education related to exercise, maintenance of diet and early prevention of depression. The prevention strategies which need to be implemented include- removing the triggering factor, delivering proper practical support, involving the older adults in talking therapy and recommending medication in adverse cases. In case of poor economic status, the older adults must be supported with free telehealth services which will help in improving the care process and lowering complication.

 

 

The above paper discussed about mental health and wellness among the elderly population. The statistics highlights that 1 in 4 older people suffers from mental illness in United Kingdom and 7% of the older adult above the age of 65 is referred to the NHS counselling. Lack of proper diagnosis and preventive awareness program increases the risk of developing mental illness among the older adults. Lastly, the study highlighted about the interventions which needs to be implemented for the older adults for improving the mental health wellness.

 

 

Abdi, S., Spann, A., Borilovic, J., de Witte, L. and Hawley, M., 2019. Understanding the care and support needs of older people: a scoping review and categorisation using the WHO international classification of functioning, disability and health framework (ICF). BMC geriatrics, 19(1), pp.1-15.

 

 

Ageuk.org. (2022). Mental Health (England). Retrieved 18 April 2022, from https://www.ageuk.org.uk/globalassets/age-uk/documents/policy-positions/health-and-wellbeing/ppp_mental_health_england.pdf

 

 

Budhwani, H. and De, P., 2019. Perceived stigma in health care settings and the physical and mental health of people of color in the United States. Health Equity, 3(1), pp.73-80.

 

 

Dunphy, K., Baker, F.A., Dumaresq, E., Carroll-Haskins, K., Eickholt, J., Ercole, M., Kaimal, G., Meyer, K., Sajnani, N., Shamir, O.Y. and Wosch, T., 2019. Creative arts interventions to address depression in older adults: a systematic review of outcomes, processes, and mechanisms. Frontiers in psychology, 9, p.2655.

 

 

england.nhs.uk. (2022). NHS England » Older people’s mental health. Retrieved 18 April 2022, from https://www.england.nhs.uk/mental-health/adults/older-people/

 

 

Foong, H.F., Lim, S.Y., Koris, R. and Haron, S.A., 2021. Time-Use and Mental Health in Older Adults: A Scoping Review. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(9), p.4459.

 

 

Frank, C.R., Xiang, X., Stagg, B.C. and Ehrlich, J.R., 2019. Longitudinal associations of self-reported vision impairment with symptoms of anxiety and depression among older adults in the United States. JAMA ophthalmology, 137(7), pp.793-800.

 

 

Gilbody, S., Lewis, H., Adamson, J., Atherton, K., Bailey, D., Birtwistle, J., Bosanquet, K., Clare, E., Delgadillo, J., Ekers, D. and Foster, D., 2017. Effect of collaborative care vs usual care on depressive symptoms in older adults with subthreshold depression: the CASPER randomized clinical trial. Jama, 317(7), pp.728-737.

 

 

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Panagioti, M., Skevington, S.M., Hann, M., Howells, K., Blakemore, A., Reeves, D. and Bower, P., 2018. Effect of health literacy on the quality of life of older patients with long-term conditions: a large cohort study in UK general practice. Quality of Life Research, 27(5), pp.1257-1268.

 

 

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Sondell, A., Rosendahl, E., Sommar, J.N., Littbrand, H., Lundin-Olsson, L. and Lindelöf, N., 2018. Motivation to participate in high-intensity functional exercise compared with a social activity in older people with dementia in nursing homes. PLoS One, 13(11), p.e0206899.

 

 

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