Not long ago, doctors offered incomplete explanations for various physical and psychological conditions to elderly people stating “what do you expect? It’s old age”. Today, we know that aging can shape specific types of mental disorders that require careful diagnosis and proper treatment. All these factors gave rise to the field of psychogeriatrics. Within this context, we can add loneliness, grief, insomnia, mobility difficulties, physical pain, anxiety, and depression.
However, geriatric stress may contribute to the development of heart disease, while depression can increase mortality rates following a cardiac event. In psychogeriatrics, the diagnosis of depression or anxiety disorders cannot be done based on standard criteria, but must instead be adapted to the specific characteristics of older adults.
The same applies to psychotic symptoms in this age group, which require careful and precise pharmacological management. Paranoid thoughts, hallucinations, and suspicion are symptoms that can severely exhaust caregivers.
