Mental Illness, Timelines, and Aging

?Not too often does one think about when exactly a mental illness can begin for any one individual. In fact, mental illnesses can begin as early as five. Mental illness does not discriminate against age, gender, race, or creed. Mental illnesses are never convenient or helpful. Modern attitudes towards mental illnesses have produced positive legislative changes over the last three decades in America, while also gaining awareness on a global forum.

Definition

Psychiatry.org defines mental illnesses as health conditions involving changes in emotion, thinking, or behavior (or a combination of both). They require patience, understanding, and often help or assistance from others.

Recent Study

Early interventions create the best preventive measures for patients and can improve long-term well-being. “Neurodevelopmental disorders, anxieties, and phobias can begin for a child as early as five years of age. Solmi and co-workers, in 2021, conducted a meta-analysis of 192 studies investigating the onset of mental disorders. This included data from more than 700,000 patients and it was determined that the peak age of onset for mental disorders was fourteen and a half years old” (Ocklenburg, Ph.D., 2021).

Teen Misconceptions

One conclusion of these studies is that mental illnesses during adolescence should not be taken as a phase that someone will grow out of. Parents may tend to believe that an adolescent is just going through a phase and having to deal with peer pressure and/or hormones. There may be other factors like healthcare costs associated with diagnosis and treatment for disorders. Coping with and/or learning to navigate life, while having a mental illness, can be even more costly. Not all families can afford insurance and will avoid signs of teen mental illness. The most common disorders associated with teens are OCD, various eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia, and various stress disorders. Addictions may occur in the middle to late teenage years.

Middle-aged Risks

Middle-aged adults, who struggle with mental illnesses, can see the development of a plethora of health issues. Someone who has gone years undiagnosed often has unsuccessfully self-medicated through various over-the-counter and/or illegal drugs. Self-medicating can cause damage to the brain as well as damage to the functionality of the body. “Recent research suggests that borderline personality disorder and its BPD-related traits have been associated with both self-reported cardiovascular disease and various heart disease risk factors such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and preclinical carotid arterial thickening” (Barber et al., 2019, p.151).

Seniors Stressors

Life can be stressful at any age. Older adults between ages 50-65 have less stress than those younger generations. This makes sense because they have experienced more adversity and have often been self-reliant. But things change at 65 years old. Seniors, who have previously been self-reliant, come into more need of social and personal assistance. The World Health Organization stated that “the population of seniors is rapidly growing. Between 2015 and 2050, the expected proportion of the world's population over 60 years of age will nearly double from 12% to 22%. Currently, approximately 15% of adults aged 60 and over suffer from a mental disorder” (Mental Health of Older Adults, 2017).

The good thing about these studies is that they each raise different levels of awareness. Being more aware of how early mental illnesses can present themselves in children may help parents and leaders to get early interventions and treatments. Also, understanding middle-aged adults better, who have never been diagnosed but have been self-medicating, can allow for interventions and education. The studies showing evidence of seniors 60 and over can serve as a wake-up call for communities all around the world that our seniors need our social support and assistance. The world can use this information to create a better tomorrow! And that mindset, along with action plans, can see the world to become a better place!

#MentalHealth #Aging #BeReal #BeKind #EncourageOthers #FoodForThought #Culture #MentalHealthAwareness

References

Barber,?T., Ringwald,?W.?R., Wright,?A.?G., & Manuck,?S.?N. (2019). Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment.?Borderline Personality Disorder Traits Associate with Mid-life Cardiometabolic Risk,?11(2), p.151-154.?https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/6eksy

CDC. (n.d.).?The State of Mental Health and Aging in America. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.?www.cdc.gov/aging/pdf/mental_health.pdf

Mental Health of Older Adults. (2017, December 12). World Health Organization (WHO).?www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-of-older-adults

Ocklenburg, Ph.D.,?S. (2021, June 18).?At What Age Does Mental Illness Begin??Psychology Today.?www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-asymmetric-brain/202106/what-age-does-mental-illness-begin

Richmond-Rakerd, et al.,?L.?S., & Wertz, et al.,?J. (2021, May 6).?RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Mental illnesses in Early Life are Linked to Faster Aging and Worse Health in Later Years. National Institute on Aging.?www.nia.nih.gov/news/early-mental-illness-accelerates-aging-process

Wright, PhD,?A. (2019, October 28).?Middle-aged Adults with Borderline Personality Disorder Potentially at Higher Risk for Heart Attacks, Study Says. www.apa.org.?www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2019/10/borderline-personality-heart-attacks