Free Custom «The Relationship between Depression and Cognitive Deterioriation in Older Adults» Essay Paper

The population structure of the United States is changing; the older age group is increasing in size relative to the younger generation. The trend is expected to continue, especially starting in 2020, when the baby boomer population—estimated at 80 million—will be reaching their 65^th birthday, a time associated with increasing health complications, including depression and dementia. The study employed a holistic paradigm as the conceptual framework to examine the association between depression and dementia in older adults.

The action research study used grounded theory to hypothesize the relationship between depression and dementia. The generated theory was supported from the secondary data collected were all the 60 clients aged 65 and above had diagnoses of depression and dementia. The study found out that to alleviate the adverse effects of dementia physicians should reduce the levels of depression in clients. The hypothesis conducted in this research to generate the grounded theory found out that there is a relationship between depression and dementia in which the former exacerbates the latter in clients.

 

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The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of stimulation, a nurturing environment, and treatment provided by an adult day health care (ADHC) in ameliorating the symptoms and progression of both dementia and depression. The sample consisted of 60 clients from a California ADHC center who were diagnosed with depression and dementia and who had received at least 6 months of services at the center.

The paired t tests tested the validity of the hypotheses on depression among older adults and its correlation with their cognitive abilities. The mean scores used was that of the GDS at admission which was 14.9; 6 months later and the collective mean score on the GDS which was 11.4, representing a 24% reduction in depression. The paired t tests conducted on the same population indicated that there was a significant reduction in the client’s level of depression between the time of their admission and the time of their reassessment 6 months later.

The study provides evidence that depression and cognitive deterioration associated with dementia can be mediated, though caution should be exercised in conceptualizing the trajectories of dementia and the interventions. This study can provide data for the larger social change discussion as to what direction resources should be allocated to meet the quickly escalating health, economic, and humanitarian pressures of the baby boom cohort.