The Many Faces of Aging Recognition of and responsiveness to the growing diversity of our aging population has been a priority in the U. S. Government's Administration on Aging. By the middle of the 21st century, every third older person will be from a minority group. Mental disorders represent a grave threat to the health and well-being of older adults. White men ages 85 and older are especially vulnerable with a suicide rate 2 times greater than that of the general population. Mental disorders can also negatively affect the ability of older people to recover from other health problems.
Heart attacks are five times more likely to be fatal for a person who is depressed.
The onset of their disorders varies widely in older adults with mental illness. Some have suffered from serious and persistent mental illness most of their adult life, while others have had periodic episodes of mental illness. Many people experience mental disorders or mental health problems for the first time late in life. Bereavement of loved ones or other losses that occur in old age frequently exacerbate these problems. Mental disorders also range in severity, from problematic, to disabling to fatal.