Coping with stress: a physician's guide to mental health in aging

The mental and emotional health of people of all ages is related to how well they cope with or adapt to the stresses and changes in their lives. Although risks to health do increase with advancing age, stress is not an inevitable consequence of old age. However, two transitional stressors that are more common with increased age are the onset of illness and/or physical impairment and the death of loved ones. As recently as 1987, less than 1.5% of community-based mental health care went to persons over age 65. The elderly consistently report that when they do seek help with emotional problems, they first consult with their primary care physicians. Therefore, these physicians need to be knowledgeable about mental health in aging and familiar with mental health services their patients could use.