No. Depression does NOT occur more often in older adults than in younger people. However, it is the most frequent mental health problem of older adults. Depression may vary from feeling "blue" from grief over a loss to a diagnosis of clinical depression by the DSM IV criteria. Accurate diagnosis and treatment options are often hindered by an older adult's resistance to mental health intervention and/or situational depression from reactions to isolation, role changes, illness, and medication effects.
For more information, you may want to visit the learning lesson at:
http://www.extension.org/pages/Recognizing_Depression_in_an_Older_Adult
