A few more insights on mental health and the elderly

Dr. Curtis Cripe has years of experience heading the NTL Group, an organization that helps in the diagnosis and treatment of neurological diseases. And in the past few years, Dr. Cripe has shared his knowledge through his series of blogs.

Image source: behavioral.net

For this blog, a few issues surrounding mental health and the elderly will be tackled.

Studies have shown that 2 out of every 10 Americans 55 years old and above deal with problems about their mental health. Out of these people suffering from mental health issues, over 30 percent have yet to be treated. Often, the people responsible for taking care of the elderly, whether they be relatives or caregivers, have no inkling as to the mental state of the people they look after – until it reaches advanced stages when symptoms are undeniable.

One common misconception is that dementia is the only condition that hits seniors with a high probability. However, there are some mental health issues other than dementia that are also quite common among the elderly. Many times, symptoms of mood and anxiety disorders, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and even PTSD aren’t noticed by people who work and live with them daily. And many times, these mental health issues aren’t brought to light.

A dangerous belief people have is that the deterioration of one’s mental capacity is a natural part of aging. While it may be true, thinking of it as “natural” leads to an attitude that may forsake or take for granted the need to have the elderly’s mental health checked from time to time. This is a mistake.

If people who take care of a senior feel or sense something off with how they move or talk, Dr. Curtis Cripe urges them to take them to see a mental health professional as soon as possible.

Dr. Curtis Cripe is the head of research and development at the NTL Group, which specializes in the creation of neuroengineering programs for the diagnosis and treatment of neurological disorders. For more reads on neurology, go to this page.

Common neurodevelopment problems affecting children.

A child’s brain is constantly in continual development, growth, and tremendous changes and connections because it is frequently stimulated by the environment where it develops. There are a number of disorders from abnormal brain development or damage at an early age, and depending on the time the damage or abnormality occurs, the impact and effects will largely vary.

Autism This developmental disorder appears in the first three years of life, affecting the brain’s normal developing of social and communication skills. Patients process information in the brain and develop at different rates in every ear. Those diagnosed with autism have persistent difficulties in areas such as social communication, motor or verbal behavior, and sensory behavior.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) This childhood mental condition usually takes place before age seven and involves impaired or diminished attention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. A child with this problem could lack attention to detail and the ability to sit still. He or she might talk excessively, has excessive energy, or interrupts in other people’s activities, to name a few.

Learning disorders Dyslexia is a reading disorder marked by an impaired ability to recognize words, poor comprehension, and slow reading. Dysgraphia is a writing disorder where there may be problems in writing specific words or writing in general, while dyscalculia is a calculation disorder in the basic arithmetic skills such as addition and subtraction.

Anxiety disorders Here, children worry excessively about many things, from school to their health to their future in general. These may include social phobia, antisocial behavior, and panic attacks, and the anxiety or depression may persist into adulthood.

Dr. Curtis Cripe is a multidisciplinary neuroengineer who currently heads the Research and Development Division of NTL Group, for advanced technology for brain and cognitive repair. Read more about neurodevelopment on this page.