Inc. Depression affects more women than men. Experts suspect as many as six million older adults may suffer from depression, yet only 10 percent ever receive treatment. This is most likely because patients themselves do not recognize the symptoms or mention them to their physician. It is often difficult to set apart normal life occurrences from true depression.
Life progresses to offer more challenges and difficulties.
Often these are viewed as a normal part of life and not a medical condition requiring treatment. Actually, as many as 25 percent of nursing home patients may experience major depression. For women, living longer offers more opportunities to experience death of a spouse, begin alone and chronic illness, which increases their exposure to depression. Researchers have found older adults respond quite well to treatment. More than half respond to antidepressant drug treatment and those with mild to moderate depression benefit from psychotherapy.