We Need To Talk About The Mental Health Of Seniors

As we wrap up Mental Health Awareness Month, we must pay attention to the needs of an underserved population: the elderly

- Anmol Arora

When Antoinette Alvares lost her husband suddenly in 2019, she could not get over the shock for many months. "I wouldn't go out, I didn't want to talk to anyone, and I didn't want to wear any of my [usual] clothes. I only wanted to wear dark clothes," says the 69-year-old from Mumbai. Everyone in her family was worried as Alvares, usually a cheerful, outgoing person, became unrecognisable. "It took me a lot of time to even smile or look at the world differently," says Alvares.

A life-changing event like losing a partner or spouse can be emotionally devastating for anyone in any age bracket, but for the elderly, though they may be culturally better conditioned to accepting it, the loss often means severing a final connection with their old selves along with a reminder of their own mortality. While younger people may be able to 'move on' because they have jobs, responsibilities, and often children to care for, bereaved elderly partners may face loneliness and a complete loss of purpose. Grief and bereavementassociated crises are among the top reasons older persons start experiencing mental health issues like depression and anxiety, even though they may not have suffered from any of it before-and it often goes unnoticed. According to the World Health Organisation, over 20% of adults over the age of 60 suffer from a mental or neurological disorder.

AGEING AND MENTAL HEALTH IN INDIA