Health and Medicine in Aging and Mental Health: An Overview

This essay explores the growing issue of mental health problems in the aging population. It highlights the challenges associated with the aging process, including physical and mental decline, and emphasizes the vulnerability of older adults to illness and diseases. The essay examines various internal and external factors influencing mental health in this demographic, such as income, relationships, and loss. It discusses common mental health disorders like depression and dementia, and their impact on the elderly, including reduced quality of life, social difficulties, and potential barriers to employment and education. The essay also touches upon the importance of social service agencies and personal experiences related to mental health and aging, as well as help-seeking behaviors. The author references several academic studies and research papers to support the arguments and provides a comprehensive overview of the topic.

Running Head: Health and Medicine in Aging and Mental Health
Health and Medicine in Aging and Mental Health
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Health and Medicine in Aging and Mental Health
Introduction
It is evident that in today’s society, mental health issues in older population is increasing
day by day. In human life cycle, aging process can be frustrating for many reasons. Mental
health is a level of psychological wellbeing or an absence of mental illness where psychological
stare functions at a satisfactory level of emotion, behavior and adjustment (Wyatt & Oswalt,
2013). Aging is a time for adaptation and change and it is hard to maintain all balance in great
quality. Due to age factor adult people typically are not mentally, physically strong and
independent as they used to be before. Aging people are more vulnerable and downcast to illness
and diseases. There are several internal and external factors that also play a major role in aging
people. In the words of Bengtson (2018) the main factors are income, illness, relationship with
family, loss of dearest and nearest persons in life, company, care, housing, transportation and
mobility etc.
As people age they face many problems and challenges as well as different level of stress.
In this century, on one hand, all over the world people are living longer and longer due to quality
of life and on the other hand with increasing age, far too many people fall victim to mental health
problems which is very common but painful. With the aging process people mobility may slow
down and sight slowly diminish and these changes can directly affect their mental health. There
are types of forms of mental illnesses and diseases. One of them is depression which relates our
feelings of happiness (Lamar et al., 2013). It prevents from enjoying life and take a toll on
physical health as well. Dementia, anxiety and other mental health concerns are also common.
The basis of mental health problems for aging people often shows from frustration, loneliness,
inability to preform daily activities, despair, being negligence from family member or
community.

Health and Medicine in Aging and Mental Health
Who does it impact?
Everyday everywhere many adult people are facing mental health problems which can’t
be avoided. Mental health problems and illnesses among adults are likely to affect every family
not in only Canada but all around the world in some way (Pearson, Janz & Ali, 2013). Some of
the most common mental health disorders are anxiety and panic disorder, bipolar disorder,
depression, and schizophrenia. The disruption in behavioural patterns that are caused due to
mental health problems are often responsible for bringing about a significant impairment and
distress in the personal functioning of the individual.
What are the impacts?
According to Steptoe, Deaton and Stone (2015) the probable course and consequence of
mental disorders differs and is dependent on plentiful factors connected to the disorder, the
person as a whole, and the environment, and the society. Several studies conducted on
schizophrenia have reported that more than half of persons usually recover from their symptoms.
According to Slade et al. (2014) while some people suffering from mental health problems report
serious difficulties, "late" recovery is still reasonable. Owing to the fact that psychological
disorders are found to create a negative impact on the family members and the communities of
the mentally hostile, besides the sufferers, there is a need to develop a sound understanding the
consequences of mental disease on discrete patients and the existing social systems. This will
facilitate bringing about an improvement in the mental healthcare system and will also aid the
development of operative healthcare delivery programs (Clement et al., 2015). Individuals
suffering from aging and mental disorders are at larger risks for reduced quality of life, poverty,
dropped productivity, social difficulties, susceptibility to abuse, and further health problems
(Fredriksen-Goldsen et al., 2014). There is mounting evidence for the fact that people with

Health and Medicine in Aging and Mental Health
mental health and aging problems often fail to seek adequate employment opportunities.
Education also gets affected by poor mental health where the persons having psychological
disorder show reduced likelihood of completing high school, college, or obtaining educational
degrees (WHO, 2014).
Why does the problem exist?
Research evidences have also elaborated on the fact that aged people and females are
more allied with more optimistic help seeking outlooks. Thus, gender and age are found to play
an influence on the intent to seek professional mental help. Women are found to exhibit
increased favourable intentions for obtaining assistance from mental health professionals, when
compared to men. This can be accredited to their positive attitudes that concern psychological
openness (Mackenzie et al., 2006). Thus, negative attitudes that are associated with
psychological openness directly contribute the underutilization of services by males. Results
from another systematic review were also able to establish a direct correlation between physical
illness, functional disability, and suicidal ideations among older adults (Fässberg et al., 2016).
This can be accounted for the fact that the conditions are quite common in late life and are
responsible for a loss of autonomy, pain, isolation, depression, and upsurge in burden on the
social networks (Ahmedani et al., 2014). Furthermore, Innamorati et al. (2014) also stated that
older adults who commit suicide often seek consultation from their physicians, within few weeks
of death, where they principally discuss about their physical ailments and keep the suicidal
feelings and mental distress unaddressed.
Social service agencies
There are several community mental health programs in Toronto Central that deliver
services to assist people suffering from mental health issues, while residing in the community.

Health and Medicine in Aging and Mental Health
Some of the common facilities that are offered by these programs include advocacy, information
and referral, case management, rehabilitation, housing advocacy, counselling, employment
assistance, support groups, recreational and social opportunities, and peer support for the
survivors and the consumers. Few names of the services are Across Boundaries, Anishnawbe
Health Toronto- Aboriginal Mental Health and Addiction Services, Baycrest Geriatric Mental
Health Community Support Services, and Cota - Geriatric Mental Health Case Management
Program (Torontocentralhealthline.ca, 2018).
Personal experiences
The issue related to mental health and aging has helped me gain a sound understanding of
the different complexities that are associated with the condition and further facilitated
identification of the severe impacts that they create on the quality of life. From my personal
experiences I could agree with the findings presented above that mental illness and aging often
make the affected person functionally disable. Furthermore, I have also found the society
demonstrating stereotyping attitudes towards such people, one of whom was a close kin of mine.
These kind of stigmatising behaviour manifested by the larger society and the community
directly lowers the self-esteem and confidence of the people, and deteriorates their quality of life.
However, I differ from the facts that are presented regarding help seeking behaviour. Prevalence
of mass media campaigns, mental health and aging awareness, and works by different non-profit
organisation have made it easier for all people to share their concerns with the healthcare
professionals, regardless of their age and/or gender. Thus, I feel that adequate efforts are being
taken by the government to promote mental health and healthy aging in the population.

Health and Medicine in Aging and Mental Health
References
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Health and Medicine in Aging and Mental Health
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