The average life expectancy in the United States has increased for decades, such that a woman born in the U.S. today can expect to live into her eighties, with her male counterpart trailing behind by a few years. The segment of our population living into their nineties is growing faster than any other age group. Of course most people consider greater life-span to be desirable, and most of the time it is. Since women have a higher incidence of depression at all ages than men, these demographic changes have created an especially large population of older women who may be vulnerable to depression as they lose the company of family and friends due to death or relocation. Contributing Factors Factors other than greater life-span also contribute to social isolation, which in turn increases the risk of depression.
Grown children roam the country in search of better careers and different ways of life.
Of course the freedom to choose where one lives can be liberating, but it has its downsides as well. Freedom has its costs, and one of them may be the loss of the family and community networks that sustained older people in more traditional eras. Other aspects of seniors' lives can also put them at risk for depression. While living longer, many will also be living with some condition such as arthritis, heart disease, or diabetes, which limits their activities or causes chronic symptoms or pain. These limitations can deprive older people of the satisfactions of exercise, social contact, and meaningful activities such as volunteer jobs or participation in cultural events.