Mental Health Does NOT Discriminate
September is National Suicide Prevention Month. Each week, we will have a new article featured here that talks about various mental health resources. This week’s feature is about how older individuals can be affected by mental health.
When you think about who is affected by mental health, is there a specific group of people you think is affected more than others? Do you feel like you hear more about one age group being more affected than another age group? Well, what if I told you that everyone can be affected by mental health, no matter their age. Mental health hardships do not discriminate.
According to a 2021 NIH study, “among the elderly people being studied, 13% suffering from anxiety disorder also have depression and 36% of depressive patients have a concomitant anxiety disorder.” This shows that older people are being affected by mental health, just like those in younger demographics. People of different ages may struggle with different aspects of mental health, but they are still affected.
Supporting those who are older, with mental health struggles, is something that is important and needs to be talked about more often. So how can we support those that we know that are within this age demographic?
- Help create a safe space for them to talk about what they are going through.
- Help support them as they work to practice good self-care.
- When they are struggling, help guide them to helpful resources, whether that be in person counseling or online sites that provide mental health information and helplines.
If you know anyone who is struggling with mental health or if you are struggling with mental health yourself, please go to https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline. There is information on the National Helpline which provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations.
