Socio-emotional problems and senior citizens

Aging is a natural process. As they say, age is just a number. This may be true, however, it cannot be discounted that as one advance in age the physical and mental health gets affected and needs some special care. In some recent studies, it has been found that approximately 15% of adults aged 60 and over suffer from a mental disorder.

It goes without dispute that mental and physical health reinforce each other. For example, if a sixty-five-year-old woman has a heart ailment she would have a greater chance of depression if she is staying alone and without a caregiver. It is possible another way round too. If the same woman stays alone and experiences anxiety due to which her food intake and physical activity are affected, it has a greater chance to create an impact on her mind and heart negatively.

This article outlines the socio-emotional challenges that Senior Citizens face, their triggers, and how some of them can be easily discerned. If identified in their nascent stages and interventions are made available in time, many of these can not only be contained, but also impacted from being aggravated and becoming serious.

Mental Health and Senior Adults

One of the offshoots of the socio-emotional issues faced by the elderly is reported to be the rapid change in the socio-economic equation in their life which includes "the empty nest" syndrome where children leave the family home to find means of employment in different cities or countries. Besides physical home care of the elderly, the mental vacuum is exacerbated by a lack of mobility due to ill health. Isolation leads to the emotional feeling of loneliness leading to depression and other mental disorders gradually. These disorders are expected to be higher in intensity in the post-COVID-19 as the stress levels have increased due to grief over the loss of someone around them. Besides, research shows that many older adults who recovered from the pandemic virus have more fragile mental health and are at 2-3 times higher risk of such a disorder as dementia in coming years.

Making an assessment of the mental health of a senior adult

Most of the time mental disorders go undetected by the family and friends who may be in touch with the Senior family members. Sometimes even within joint families, staying together these emotional problems offshoot as each family member may be busy in her or his life and have no time to interact with them. In such cases, although the physical presence of family members is there the strong bond with older parents or grandparents that is necessary is not built.

In a recent epidemiological study, there is an average of 20.5% mental health morbidity in older adults. Out of more than 83 million of senior citizens, 17.13 million are suffering from mental health problems in our country. These ailments include isolation, anxiety disorders, dementia, and psychosis. There are also constant complaints of sleep deprivation and behavioral disorders, cognitive deterioration or confusion states as a result of a physical disorder or surgical intervention.

To know the condition of mental health of the aged it is important to be watchful for any of the following signs.

• Sudden mood swings, showing restlessness or excessive worry
• Conversations revolving around helplessness or dependency
• Constant grieving
• Loss of interest in activities enjoyed earlier
• Preferring isolation to have people around
• Loss of appetite, eating too much
• Skipping some fixed routines or medications
• Changes in appearances or the way they dress
• Disorientation, difficulties in concentration, and decision making
• Expressing feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness, guilt, suicide
• Drastic long-term or short-term memory loss
• Social withdrawal
• Unexplained fatigue, tiredness
• Sudden change in sleep pattern: either sleeping too little or for too long
• Muscle tensions, other pains or aches
• Stomach ailments

Potential Triggers for Mental disorders in Senior Adults

The above-mentioned symptoms follow a certain transformation in the lives of senior adults. Although mental health disorders can develop in anyone, and for no specific reason, researches show there is a clear link between certain triggers and the appearance of symptoms of mental illness in seniors. These are mostly related to many lifestyles or life-changing circumstances that work as a trigger.
Some of the potential triggers that exist for mental illness in the elderly are as follows:

• Loneliness
• Grief over the loss of a loved one or about general world scenario
• Financial insecurity
• Dementia-causing illness (e.g., Alzheimer's disease)
• Illness of a loved one
• Long-term illness (e.g., cancer or heart disease)
• Chronic pain
• Physical disability or loss of mobility
• Physical illnesses that can affect emotion, memory, and thought
• Loss of independence, movement
• Poor diet or malnutrition


Management of the Socio-emotional disorders in Senior Adults

As awareness of Mental health is increasing globally, certain steps can be taken at the individual level to stay mentally healthy in even the most stressful of situations. The family or the near and dear ones can become a support system in this.

Here are some important points of prime importance for optimal management by the seniors themselves or taken care of by those around the Seniors:

• Timely identification of the disorder
• Understanding the managing ability and coping up mechanism
• Immediate intervention by a therapist
• Providing a support system wherever required.

Besides these, the Seniors at an individual level too can create lifestyle changes that will increase their coping up capacities and create resilience towards disorders

Develop a positive attitude and draw out your inner resilience focussing on strengths and values

• Follow a good health plan including some regular physical exercise, maybe a walk, stroll in the park, or doing some simple free-hand exercises for small durations of 20-30mts daily. There will be an additional benefit of improved mood and a feeling of well-being too

• Follow a fixed routine and stick to it

• Deal with the loss and speak to someone or seek professional help

• Develop skills to connect to others through social media and do not hesitate to ask for help if you find it difficult to educate yourself about the digitization

• Attend online meetings and classes and expand your circle maintaining safety protocol

• Become support to someone else

It is important that today, more than ever we become aware of ourselves and make our elders too aware of the possibility of facing socio-emotional disorders in their lives. It is essential that the labeling on the mental health issues is dealt-with an open-minded attitude and acceptance at societal and community level and consider it as an avenue to create greater well being in senior adults and thereby all around.