Introduction

UnIortunately Old Age has now become a prevalent social problem in our society. It is strange
no one wants to grow old but every one want to live long. In our modern society, where money is
the scale oI everything, the old age people are measured as an economic liability and a social
burden. Old age is observed as an ineluctable, undesirable, problem-ridden stage oI liIe that we
all are compelled to live, marking time until our Iinal exit Irom liIe itselI. Many people get
extremely IearIul when they become old. Distinguishing old age with Iear is in Iact a rather
recent phenomenon. It seems to intensiIy as each day passes and the world become more diIIicult
and less comprehensible.

Old age is a stage oI liIe, where one needs to learn certain things aIresh and get hold oI new
skills, mind-sets and socialization norms. In this lens, we present some useIul inIormation that
would be oI use to our senior citizens and also Ior the one who care Ior them.
A mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern generally
associated with subjective distress or disability that occurs in an individual, and which is not a
part oI normal development or culture. Such a disorder may consist oI a combination oI
aIIective, behavioral, cognitive and perceptual components. The recognition and understanding
oI mental health conditions have changed over time and across cultures, and there are still
variations in the deIinition, assessment, and classiIication oI mental disorders, although standard
guideline criteria are widely accepted. A Iew mental disorders are diagnosed based on the harm
to others, regardless oI the subject's perception oI distress.
The deIinition and classiIication oI mental disorders is a key issue Ior mental health and Ior
users and providers oI mental health services. Most international clinical documents (ICD) use
the term "mental disorder". There are currently two widely established systems that classiIy
mental disorder (ICD-10 Chapter ): Mental and behavioral disorders, part oI the International
ClassiIication oI Diseases produced by the World Health Organization (WHO), and the
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual oI Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) produced by the American
Psychiatric Association (APA).Both list categories oI disorder and provide standardized criteria
Ior diagnosis. They have deliberately converged their codes in recent revisions so that the
manuals are oIten broadly comparable, although signiIicant diIIerences remain..
The common mental disorder among the elderlyinclude

Depression
Many of Lhe changes we face as we grow oldersuch as reLlremenL Lhe deaLh of frlends and loved
ones lncreased lsolaLlon or medlcal problemscan lead Lo depresslon LefL unLreaLed depresslon
affecLs much more Lhan [usL mood lL can lmpacL your physlcal healLh lmpalr your memory and
concenLraLlon and prevenL you from en[oylng llfe
Depression is a common problem in older adults. The symptoms oI depression aIIect every
aspect oI liIe, including energy, appetite, sleeps, and interest in work, hobbies, and relationships.
UnIortunately, all too many depressed seniors Iail to recognize the symptoms oI depression,
or don`t take the steps to get the help they need. There are many reasons depression in older
adults and the elderly is overlooked the reasons are discussed below.
As you grow older, you Iace signiIicant liIe changes that can put you at risk Ior depression.
Causes and risk Iactors that contribute to depression in older adults and the elderly include:
O ealth problems Illness and disability; chronic or severe pain; cognitive decline;
damage to body image due to surgery or disease.
O oneliness and isolation Living alone; a dwindling social circle due to deaths or
relocation; decreased mobility due to illness or loss oI driving privileges.
O #educed sense of purpose Feelings oI purposelessness or loss oI identity due to
retirement or physical limitations on activities.
O ears Fear oI death or dying; anxiety over Iinancial problems or health issues.
O #ecent bereavement The death oI Iriends, Iamily members, and pets; the loss oI a
spouse or partner.
Dementia
uemenLla ls noL a speclflc dlsease lL ls a descrlpLlve Lerm for a collecLlon of sympLoms LhaL can be
caused by a number of dlsorders LhaL affecL Lhe braln eople wlLh demenLla have slgnlflcanLly lmpalred
lnLellecLual funcLlonlng LhaL lnLerferes wlLh normal acLlvlLles and relaLlonshlps 1hey also lose Lhelr
ablllLy Lo solve problems and malnLaln emoLlonal conLrol and Lhey may experlence personallLy changes
and behavloral problems such as aglLaLlon deluslons and halluclnaLlons Whlle memory loss ls a
common sympLom of demenLla memory loss by lLself does noL mean LhaL a person has demenLla
uocLors dlagnose demenLla only lf Lwo or more braln funcLlons such as memory language skllls
percepLlon or cognlLlve skllls lncludlng reasonlng and [udgmenL are slgnlflcanLly lmpalred wlLhouL loss
of consclousness
All causes oI dementia result Irom death and damage oI nerve cells in the brain; genetics and
possibly the Iormation oI diIIerent types oI inclusions in the brain cells are likely the major
causes, although some researchers suggest that certain inclusions may be only side eIIects oI an
underlying disorder.
Risk Iactors Ior dementia include advancing age, genetics (Iamily history% smoklng alcohol
use aLherosclerosls hlgh cholesLerol dlabeLes hlgh plasma homocysLelne levels mlld cognlLlve
lmpalrmenL uown syndrome

Researchers say generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) may be the most common mental
disorder among the elderly, although little is known about how to treat the disorder among older
adults. Studies have shown that generalized anxiety disorder is more common in the elderly,
aIIecting 7 oI seniors, than depression, which aIIects about 3 oI seniors. 'Surprisingly, there
is little research that has been done on this disorder in the elderly," says researcher Eric J. Lenze,
MD, assistant proIessor oI psychiatry at the University oI Pittsburgh School oI Medicine, in a
news release."Due to the lack oI evidence, doctors oIten think that this disorder is rare in the
elderly or that it is a normal part oI aging, so they don't diagnose or treat anxiety in their older
patients, when, in Iact, anxiety is quite common in the elderly and can have a serious impact on
quality oI liIe," says Lenze.
Researchers say its normal Ior older adults to worry more about things like deteriorating
health and Iinancial concerns as they age, but elderly with generalized anxiety disorder worry
excessively about routine events and activities Ior six months or more.
This constant state oI worry and anxiousness may seriously aIIect older people`s quality oI liIe
by causing them to limit their daily activities and have diIIiculty sleeping. II untreated, GAD
may also lead to depression. Other conditions considered anxiety disorders include phobias,
panic disorder, and obsessive compulsive disorder.
Treating generalized anxiety disorder with one selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)
was equally eIIective at treating adults over age 60 with the disorder compared with younger
adults. Older adults who took the SSRI Ior eight months reported an overall improvement in
symptoms and quality oI liIe. Doctors can`t assume the same drugs used to treat GAD in younger
adults will always work in older adults and more research is needed to determine the eIIects oI
these drugs in the elderly.