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Lately, your mom seems sad, hopeless, listless, anxious, morose, or unkempt. If symptoms occur every day for two weeks or more, she may have depression. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), up to 5 percent of adults in the United States have regular feelings of depression. And for older people who need home healthcare, the CDC estimates that about 13.5 percent have major depression.
Often, older people won't admit to feeling sad, says Ian Cook, MD, professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at UCLA. "They may feel they should white-knuckle through depression when, in fact, it's a brain problem, a shift in their neurochemicals and brain activity."
Being able to recognize the signs of depression can help lead to a diagnosis for your loved one—and eventually, treatment. With that in mind, here are some common signs.
Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Preventi... + 3
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Center for Health Statistics: Depression. Reviewed May 22, 2024.
- NIH: National Institute of Mental Health. Depression. Reviewed March 2024.
- NIH: National Institute of Aging. Depression and Older Adults. Reviewed July 7, 2021.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Alzheimer’s Disease and Healthy Aging: Depression and Aging. Reviewed June 30, 2023.
