While not a normal part of aging, depression may be related to various factors commonly associated with aging, such as loss of loved ones or loss of independence and function. Depressed mood and related symptoms that persist for two weeks or longer may indicate the presence of clinical depression. Having symptoms of depression does not mean a person is weak or has a flawed character.
Depression is a medical condition that can be treated.
Get the Facts Depression can take the pleasure out of daily life and aggravate other medical conditions found in later life. When overlooked it can lead to suicide. It often goes undetected because patients do not report their symptoms, and when they do, they are often misinterpreted as symptoms of a medical illness. A quarter of all suicides occur in the elderly and are particularly associated with depressive disorder. White men over age 80 are six times more likely to commit suicide than any other demographic group.