However, there is evidence of underreporting of mental disorders in older adults. Mental disorders represent a grave threat to the health and well-being of older adults. Older adults have the highest rates of suicide in the United States and while they represent only 13 percent of the population, individuals ages 65 and over account for 20 percent of all suicides. White men ages 85 and older are especially vulnerable with a suicide rate six 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 risk of death for nursing home residents with major depression is 60 percent higher than for residents who do not have this mental disorder. 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.