Mental health problems are common among seniors and may include isolation, affective and anxiety disorders, dementia, and psychosis, among others. Many seniors also suffer from sleep and behavioral disorders, cognitive deterioration or confusion states as a result of physical disorders or surgical interventions.

What are the most common emotional problems?

By far, the two most common emotional disorders are depression and anxiety disorders. Depression has two main symptoms that can occur alone or together. These are sadness (feeling down or blue), and difficulty feeling pleasure or having little interest in doing the things that you typically enjoy.

What are signs of emotional issues?

Symptoms of emotional distress

• feeling overwhelmed, helpless, or hopeless.
• feeling guilty without a clear cause.
• spending a lot of time worrying.
• having difficulty thinking or remembering.
• sleeping too much or too little.
• having changes in appetite.
• relying more heavily on mood-altering substances, such as alcohol.

What is the most common mood disorder in the elderly?

Mood disorders represent the most common source of psychiatric morbidity in older adults, including unipolar (depressive disorder) and bipolar (manic-depressive) subtypes, with varying degrees of severity (Table 1). Unipolar depression occurs in 10%–38% of the elderly population.

What are some behavioral and emotional concerns?

Characteristics and behaviours associated with emotional disturbance and/or behavioural problems may include: aggressive or anti-social behaviour; inattentiveness; distractibility and impulsiveness; impaired social interactions; a general inability to cope with the routine of daily tasks; obsessive and repetitive

What is emotional difficulty?

It is a very troubling condition which causes abnormal and unstable behaviour including overwhelming feelings of distress and anger, which may lead to self-harming, damage or destruction of relationships and, at times, loss of contact with reality.

What are the 5 signs of emotional suffering?

Know the 5 signs of Emotional Suffering

• Personality change in a way that seems different for that person.
• Agitation or displaying anger, anxiety or moodiness.
• Withdrawal or isolation from others.
• Poor self-care and perhaps engaging in risky behavior.
• Hopelessness, or feelings of being overwhelmed and worthless.

What are some examples of mental emotional problems?

What are some types of mental disorders?

• Anxiety disorders, including panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and phobias.
• Depression, bipolar disorder, and other mood disorders.
• Eating disorders.
• Personality disorders.
• Post-traumatic stress disorder.
• Psychotic disorders, including schizophrenia.

What are the primary four factors that cause symptoms of emotional disturbance?

No one knows the actual cause or causes of emotional disturbance, although several factors— heredity, brain disorder, diet, stress, and family functioning —have been suggested and vigorously researched.

Why do elderly get emotional?

Your loved one’s mood changes could be caused by them reacting out of pain or exasperation to a medical condition that you may not even be able to see. In other cases, severe mood swings in seniors could be due to personal frustration with their changing bodies and lifestyles.

How can I help my elderly mood swings?

You can contact your loved one’s doctor and inquire about medications to help with anxiety and new dementia behaviors like severe emotional outbursts. Otherwise, keeping their surroundings calm, familiar, structured, engaging and upbeat is the best you can do to prevent dementia-related outbursts.

What causes mood changes in elderly?

Causes of Depression and Irritability Depression and irritability can be caused by normal aging. Perhaps your loved one recently lost a close friend. Or maybe they are struggling to accept that the physical signs of aging are making it harder to participate in activities they used to love.

What are emotional behaviors?

(ē-mō’shŭn) A strong feeling, aroused mental state, or intense state of drive or unrest directed toward a definite object and evidenced in both behavior and in psychologic changes, with accompanying autonomic nervous system manifestations.

What are social emotional and Behavioural difficulties?

Behavioural, Emotional and Social Difficulties (BESD) are a type of special educational needs in which children/young people have severe difficulties in managing their emotions and behaviour. They often show inappropriate responses and feelings to situations.

How do you deal with an emotionally disturbed person?

How To Respond to an Emotionally Disturbed Person

1. Communicate Respectfully. As in all encounters with the public, we must be respectful to the person.
2. Practice Active Listening. Active listening implies listening more than talking.
3. Avoid Stereotyping.
4. Suggestions When Dealing With EDPs.
5. Final Thoughts.