Elderly cope trauma better than young ones

Lucknow, Aug 22: It is 'forever young' for the elderly so far as coping with stress is concerned, vis-a-vis those with lesser number of birthdays behind them.

Mental health experts reveal the elderly - although physically vulnerable - are better equipped at dealing with trauma and other pshychological conditions than the young.

The seniors ''tolerate'' anxiety, fear and depression more tactfully due to their long experience, wisdom and understanding.

In an exclusive interaction with UNI here, George T Grossberg, Director, Geriatric Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Saint Louis University, Missouri, USA said the older people made use of past life-experiences to come out winners.

''There are two kinds of disasters -- natural such as floods and man-made like terrorist strikes. Older people deal better with such horrors and alarm situations,'' Prof Grossberg underlined.

''For instance, 9/11 left a deep scar on the psychology and mental make-up of the people in USA. However, the older people have coped with the tragedy and sorrow much better than the middle-aged and young.

Prof Grossberg, who is an authority on the much neglected subject of Geriatrics the world over, also claimed that a ''spiritual belief system'' among the people, helped them get over illness and mental disorders better.

''Today, there is a growing body of literature to suggest that a spiritual belief system and faith in god wipes feeling of loneliness from among the people, especially the elderly,'' he asserted.

The Geriatric Psychiatry expert claimed the feeling of loneliess was the major cause of depression, that ultimately leads to several mental disorders and diseases. ''People with a spiritual belief system also live longer ,'' Prof Grossberg explained. However, he emphasised that as they age, the elderly need special care and treatment, which a General Physician (GP) can not provide in most cases.

''Even in the US, an overwhelming majority - almost 90 per cent - of dementia cases, including Alzheimer's Disease (AD) are diagnosed by GPs rather than specialists,'' he informed.

''There are major anatomical and neuropathological changes, that undergo in cases of AD. Therefore, only experts can provide succour to patients, besides conselling their family members how to take care of them,'' he mentioned.

Commenting on the scenario in India, the Professor claimed the concept of geriatric mental health was still in its infancy.

''With the rise in life expectancy following better health services in India, the country would be home to a large number of the elderly, who will need specialised care.

The medical health professional also suggested that doctors concentrated more on Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), which was a precursor to AD, so that cases of AD - although hereditary in nature - and dementia are controlled to a large extent.

Prof Grossberg was in town yesterday as guest-of-honour at the First Foundation Day Celebration of the Department of Geriatric Mental Health, King George's Medical University (KGMU), Lucknow.

UNI