American Psychological Association
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Authors
Why Practitioners Need Information
Demographic Realities
Myths About Older Adults
Realities of Aging
Psychological Problems
of Aging
Assessment of Older Adults
Psychological Intervention
Professional Concerns
Conclusion
Professional Resources
Bibliography |
- Population-based surveys have found that about 6 percent of older people
have anxiety disorders. Because anxiety disorders often coexist with affective
disorders, medical disorders, and dementia, this rate may actually be higher.
- The most common anxiety diagnosis among older adults is generalized
anxiety disorder.
- A number of medical conditions are often mistaken for generalized anxiety
disorder because anxiety and shortness of breath may be prominent early
symptoms.
- Obsessive-compulsive symptoms wax and wane throughout the life course
and can present as a primary problem or secondary to depression.
- Panic disorder rarely has a later-life onset, and, among those who
developed it earlier, the symptoms usually recede by late adulthood. Some
older adults report episodes of panic, but these are usually less severe
and may coexist with physical illness or symptoms of depression.
- Phobic disorders affect some older adults but are more common earlier
in life.
- Posttraumatic stress disorder can occur at any age and is a common
symptom among older combat veterans and former prisoners of war.
 
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