Is depression a normal part of aging? What are the risk factors, treatments and hope for the future for older adults? Dr. Sheri Gibson, private psychotherapist and consultant, University of Colorado Colorado Springs instructor and faculty affiliate, holds a Clinical Psychology PhD with an emphasis in geropsychology from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. Dr. Gibson shares her years of experience and insight to better understand how mental health becomes an issue for older adults and how to find and receive support that can make the 3rd Chapter of one's life a time to look forward to. Resources to tap into Drsherigibson.com, UCCS Aging Center, National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255.
Aging with Altitude is recorded in the Pikes Peak region with a focus on topics of aging interest across the country. We talk about both the everyday and novel needs and approaches to age with altitude whether you’re in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida or Leadville, Colorado. The Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging is the producer. Learn more at Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging.
Transcript:
Cynthia Margiotta: Hello and thank you for listening to Aging with Altitude, a podcast series sponsored by the Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging that aims to highlight issues and resources that affect older adults in our community. My name is Cynthia Margiotta and I'm here with Dr. Sheri Gibson who received her PhD in clinical psychology with an emphasis in geropsychology from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. She's an instructor for the Psychology Department at UCCS and a faculty affiliate with the UCCS Gerontology Center. Dr Gibson serves on the editorial board for the Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect, is chair of the Colorado Coalition for Elder Rights and Abuse Prevention, a member of the research committee for the National Adult Protective Services Association, and board member for the Colorado Culture Change Coalition. In addition to being an advocate for elder justice, Dr Gibson has a private psychotherapy and consultation practice which includes provision of capacity evaluations, expert testimony, consultation and training.
Thank you so much for being here Doctor.
Dr. Sheri Gibson: You're so welcome. Thanks for having me, Cynthia.
Cynthia: Today's podcast theme is on mental health and aging. My first question, is depression a normal part of aging?
Dr. Sheri Gibson: There is a wide belief that it is normal, but it's not correct. You know our society has believed for a long time that, as we age it is certainly inherent in our aging process is the theme of loss. That there are losses both at the individual level, where we lose friends in our personal circle as we age, and also losses in terms of our physical functioning, chronic health problems, maybe even loss to our home where we may need to downsize and possibly move to a different part of the country to be closer to our children or maybe move from our large home into a smaller place. I think society has often believed that as those losses occur it would be reasonable to make the jump that depression would also accompany those losses. But, what we do know is that a lot of people, as they age, have developed coping mechanisms throughout their lifetime. Many older adults, by the time they reach that part of their life, which is what I like to call the third chapter of life, that they have learned to tolerate losses throughout their life and they have they have developed effective coping strategies. So, what we do find is that depression is not a part of normal aging process. That's a myth that really needs to be debunked in our society so that we don't associate older people with depression.
Cynthia: How common is depression in the senior population?
Dr. Sheri Gibson: Well, it's really interesting, it's less common among older...
