Why Is There a Stigma Around Mental Health in Aging Adults?
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According to the WHO, 14% of seniors struggle with some sort of mental health issue. Yet many may never seek help for one reason: fear.
The sad reality is that there is a stigma around mental health, especially when it comes to mental health in aging. Available emotional support for seniors may not help much when the seniors themselves turn it down. From then on, it seems like only a downward spiral in an already exceptionally trying time.
Why is there a stigma around mental health for seniors? In the spirit of senior wellness awareness, we're going to dive deeper into the stigma for seniors in Trinity, FL.
Why Is There a Stigma Around Mental Health?
Generally speaking, everyone with mental health issues has to deal with some level of stigma. Nowadays, though, it's something that the average person can talk about openly without fear of a negative reaction. Despite this fact, many elderly people continue to be reticent to get the help they need.
A study by the AARP found this. The vast majority of seniors have faith in mental health treatments. Yet in stark contrast to this fact, the majority opt instead for self-treatment.
There are three likely reasons for this. It's some combination of:
- Outdated generational mindsets
- Adaptation to ineffective coping mechanisms
- A flawed view of senior health
Let's peel back the layers of this onion to understand the challenge of treating grief and depression in seniors.
Outdated Generational Mindsets
It's important to realize that not very long ago, mental health issues were a tricky taboo. People openly discounted and downplayed the severity of them. Whenever a person was admitted to having mental health issues, it was seen as a personal failing.
Accordingly, people were careful not to admit any sort of mental health issue out of fear of the damage it could do to their lives. Letting people know you had depression, back then, could affect your relationships, job opportunities, and social standing. So people simply kept it hidden from the world.
As we've mentioned, times have changed. People don't have to fear admitting to anxiety or being on the spectrum. But the elderly can't just flip a switch and change years of social programming -- so they need time.
Ineffective Coping Mechanisms
When all of society makes it difficult to admit to having mental health issues (let alone to treat them), you need another strategy. Just because society denies it doesn't make it any easier to live with depression or anxiety. So seniors developed coping mechanisms for depression when they were younger.
Coping mechanisms range from the healthy to the problematic. Some seniors might go fishing on the weekend. Others might get a bit too deep into their cups.
Healthy coping mechanisms can alleviate mental health struggles, but they can't fix them. Therapy and medication are the definitive solutions. Unsurprisingly, the unhealthy coping mechanisms provide only temporary relief and often cause more serious issues as a side effect.
Bad Medical Understanding
Another possible cause of this stigma comes from an unlikely source: medical professionals and a senior's family members.
Everyone knows that aging comes with a general decline. Since seniors often face reduced independence and mental faculties, it's easy to assume mental health issues are just part of that process.
To be fair, some of those downhill health changes do induce mental health issues. Having heart disease can cause depression because, obviously, it's hard to live with. But this assumption causes the people in charge of an elderly person's medical decisions to overlook treatable mental health problems.
So the stigma around being old, ironically, could be preventing a senior from seeking help. Remember, we discussed how seniors may need time to warm up to the idea that they can admit their problems. By the time they're ready to do so, they may be written off unfairly.
How to Stop the Stigma
Why is there a stigma around mental health for seniors? It mostly comes down to the mindset they were raised with, the coping mechanisms they've developed, and misconceptions about treating the elderly. It's time, then, to talk about solutions to this mental health stigma.
Stigma Education
Education is the cure for a lot more than just ignorance. Teaching people evidence-based truths creates a better society. The more people know that mental health treatment works, the harder it is for a stigma to survive.
So the best thing one can do is teach seniors about the efficacy of therapy and medication. The education they receive doesn't necessarily need to happen in a classroom or other formal setting. If they're getting it in casual conversation from their friends in their senior community, that works as well.
Better Coping Mechanism
We need to be clear that coping mechanisms aren't inherently bad. While they aren't the complete treatment, they are a critical piece of the puzzle. Everyone needs them, and seniors need healthy coping mechanisms that don't exacerbate the issue.
Everything from social activities, to productive hobbies, to exercise works. As long as a senior is enjoying themself, they're doing something right. Coping mechanisms are, effectively, behavioral health techniques that give them some distance from those mental issues so they can heal.
Unlearning bad coping mechanisms is usually the hardest part. If someone's used to drowning their miseries in alcohol, they've got their work cut out for them. But it's not impossible for an old dog to learn some new tricks.
Find Your Community in Discovery Village Trinity
Why is there a stigma around mental health with seniors? In the simplest terms, it's a mix of their acquired generational mindset, a flawed approach for coping, and bad education on the part of their trusted decision makers. Combating these things with stigma education and better coping mechanisms is how we get rid of these obstacles.
Discovery Village Trinity in Trinity, FL, is a welcoming senior living community for all seniors -- including those struggling with mental health issues. Our friendly staff and wonderful residents, combined with amenities such as a resort-style pool and putting green, make it hard to live here without a smile on your face. Reach out to us and join the best community for your senior.