Anxiety may be the most common mental disorder experienced by older adults, affecting one in 10 people over the age of 60, according to research presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association in Toronto. Despite its prevalence, anxiety remains one of the most undiagnosed and undertreated conditions in this population.

Examples of anxiety disorders include panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, phobias and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). GAD is characterized by exaggerated, uncontrollable worries about everyday things. While many worrisome events occur as people age and while it is normal for people to be concerned about such things as deteriorating health and financial troubles, people with GAD tend to worry excessively and constantly.

“Studies have shown that generalized anxiety disorder is more common in the elderly, affecting seven per cent of seniors, than depression, which affects about three per cent of seniors. Surprisingly, there is little research that has been done on this disorder in the elderly,” said Eric J. Lenze, M.D., assistant professor of psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. “Doctors often think that this disorder is rare in the elderly or that it is a normal part of aging, so they don’t diagnose or treat anxiety in their older patients, when, in fact, anxiety is quite common in the elderly and can have a serious impact on quality of life.” 

This constant level of worry can have negative, and sometimes even disabling, effects on a person’s life. Many people with GAD have trouble sleeping or limit their daily activities due to their anxiety. Untreated anxiety can also lead to anxious depression – a condition that is more difficult to treat and carries a higher risk of suicide than depression.

“Anxiety in people over age 60 might has some similarities to anxiety in those younger, but it also has marked differences. We can’t just assume that we can treat the two age groups the same,” said Dr. Lenze. “We are decades behind where we need to be in terms of research and treatments for anxiety in this older age group.” There are, however, encouraging signs that studies are beginning to address treatment options.

What It Means: Anxious older adults and their families should be aware of the prevalence of anxiety disorders. Excessive fretting should not be considered an inevitable sign of aging. A small pilot study conducted at the University of Pittsburgh has shown that an anti-depressant drug was also effective in treating anxiety in older adults. Additional studies hope to address the role of cognitive behavioral therapy or other therapies for anxiety in the elderly. There are indeed enough things to worry about when growing older. But uncontrollable, excessive worry shouldn’t be among them.

From the Archive:
06/10/2002 The Science of Anxiety
01/20/2003 A Frazzled Mind, A Weakened Body