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According to the results of a new national survey, the GeneSight Mental Health Monitor – nearly two-thirds (61%) of Americans aged 65 and over who fear they have depression will not seek its treatment. In fact, nearly one in three (33%) seniors who are worried that they may be suffering from depression believe they can “go out” on their own.
“The ‘pull yourself out of your bootstrap’ mentality of some seniors and reluctance to talk about mental health prevents them from getting the help they need, especially now that the pandemic is having a huge impact on the mental health of older Americans “said Dr. Mark Pollack, medical director of Myriad Neuroscience, creators of the GeneSight test. “People will seek treatment for conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure or diabetes. Depression is no different. It’s a disease that can and should be treated,” he said.
However, although depression is a condition that needs to be treated: 61% of respondents who are concerned that they have depression would not treat it because “my problems are not that bad”. About four in 10 (39%) of these consumers think they can manage depression without the help of a doctor. “In my experience, it is commonly believed that depression is a normal part of aging; it is not,” said Dr. Parikshit Deshmukh, CEO and Medical Director of Balanced Wellbeing LLC in Oxford, Florida, which provides psychiatric and psychotherapy services. to nursing and assisted care facilities. “I have found that older adults have a hard time admitting they have depression. When they do recognize it, they are still reluctant to start treatment for a wide variety of reasons,” Deshmukh said.
Depression remains a taboo subject among older Americans, despite about a third of over 65s who are worried they are suffering from depression recognizing that depression has interfered with their relationships and their ability to enjoy activities. “There is such a stigma about depression among people my age,” said Carmala Walgren, a 74-year-old resident of New York. “They are proof that you don’t have to accept living with depression. While it may not be easy to find a treatment that helps you with your symptoms without causing side effects, it’s definitely worth it.”
Walgren’s doctor used information from the results of his GeneSight test, a genetic test that identifies potential gene-drug interactions for medications for depression, to help inform Walgren’s drug selection. “The GeneSight test has made such a difference in my life,” Walgren said. “My doctor used the test results to find drugs that helped me.” (ANI)
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