Poor Mental Health

Indicator Definition 
Percent of adults (ages 65 and older) who reported their mental health “was not good” (feelings of stress, depression and problems with emotions) for eight or more days during the past month.

Older adults who report poor mental health eight or more days within past month in Colorado4

Older adults who report poor mental health eight or more days within past month by sex in Colorado5

Indicator Significance 
Depression is not a normal part of aging, yet the National Institute of Mental Health reports that depression is widely under-recognized and untreated among older adults. Depression often accompanies chronic illness, and therefore goes unrecognized as a separate and treatable health problem. The majority of older adults cope appropriately with physical limitations, cognitive changes and other losses that accompany aging. But many—almost 20 percent—experience mental health problems that are not a normal part of aging. Older adults have the highest rate of suicide of any age group. Medicare does not adequately cover mental health care costs, so many lower-income older adults go without treatment. Loneliness and social isolation exacerbate poor mental health among adults as they age. They are the least likely group to seek help for depression and related mental problems. Drug interactions pose another dilemma for this age group. Because so many older adults take medications for physical health conditions, as many as 40 percent who are also taking antidepressants quit or repeatedly miss doses because of side effects, memory problems or difficulty keeping track of their drug regimens.¹

Colorado Specifics
Only 7 percent of older Coloradans report eight or more days with poor mental heath in the past month. The incidence of poor mental health among older adults has remained fairly constant since 2000. Older females have a slightly higher prevalence of poor mental health compared to older males (8 percent compared to 6 percent).

Promising Initiatives
In Colorado
Senior Reach serves adults 60 and older in Jefferson, Gilpin, Clear Creek, Boulder and Broomfield counties. It is a joint project of the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Jefferson Center for Mental Health, the Mental Health Centers serving Boulder and Broomfield Counties and the Seniors Resource Center. The program has provided better and less-fragmented services to older adults in the community, and helped more people to understand the special needs of seniors. It has instilled a willingness among those assisting older adults to be the “eyes and ears” in the community, and it has improved inter-agency collaboration. Senior Reach was recently awarded the 2007 Golden Light Bulb Award for best practices in the clinical arena by the Colorado Behavioral Healthcare Council.² 

Elsewhere
Butler County of Ohio has launched a pilot study to examine in-home mental health care for older adults. The Behavioral Health Initiative targets the majority of older adults whose mental illnesses are often left untreated and who remain underserved. This initiative serves 100 older adults through the county-funded Elderly Service Programs. Two social workers trained in behavioral health care make referrals to hospital psychiatrists when needed. By caring for these adults in their homes, the initiative attempts to maintain the adult’s feelings of independence while providing the care that is often neglected.³ 

Older adults who report poor mental health eight or more days within past month⁶

Text

1. National Institute of Mental Health. “Older Adults: Depression and Suicide Facts”; April 2007.
   
   Office of the Surgeon General. “Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General”; 2001.
   
   
2. Senior Reach Program.
   
3. Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio. “Butler County Elderly Services Program: 2006 Report to the Community”; 2007.
   

Charts

4. Source: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and Colorado Health Institute analysis of Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2000 – 2007, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Data for 2002 are not available because the question for this indicator was not included in the survey that year.
   
5. Source: Colorado Health Institute analysis of Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2007, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
   
6. Source: Colorado Health Institute analysis of Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2007, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.