Depression Levels in Your 40's

[metta]

For people that are over 40, have you found that you exerienced more depression during your 40's than other parts of you life?

Middle-age is truly depressing, study finds

By Michael KahnTue Jan 29, 7:25 AM ET



Middle age is truly miserable, according to a study using data from 80 countries showing that depression is most common among men and women in their forties.

The British and U.S. researchers found that happiness for people ranging from Albania to Zimbabwe follows a U-shaped curve where life begins cheerful before turning tough during middle age and then returning to the joys of youth in the golden years.

Previous studies have shown that psychological well-being remained flat throughout life but the new findings to be published in the journal Social Science & Medicine suggest we are in for a topsy-turvy emotional ride.
"In a remarkably regular way throughout the world people slide down a U-shaped level of happiness and mental health throughout their lives,"

Andrew Oswald at Britain's Warwick University, who co-led the study, said on Tuesday.

The researchers analyzed data on depression, anxiety levels and general mental health and well-being taken from some 2 million people in 80 countries.

U-SHAPED PATTERN

For men and women the probability of depression slowly builds and then peaks when people are in their forties -- a similar pattern found in 72 countries ranging from Albania to Zimbabwe, the researchers said.
About eight nations -- mostly in the developing world -- did not follow the U-shaped pattern for happiness levels, Oswald and his colleague David Blanchflower of Dartmouth College in the United States wrote.

"It happens to men and women, to single and married people, to rich and poor, and to those with and without children," Oswald said. "Nobody knows why we see this consistency."

One possibility may be that people realize they won't achieve many of their aspirations at middle age, the researchers said.

Another reason could be that after seeing their fellow middle-aged peers begin to die, people begin to value their own remaining years and embrace life once more.

But the good news is that if people make it to aged 70 and are still physically fit, they are on average as happy and mentally healthy as a 20-year old.

"For the average persons in the modern world, the dip in mental health and happiness comes on slowly, not suddenly in a single year," Oswald said. "Only in their fifties do people emerge from this low period."

 

[frankfrank]

OOPS!

First vote, and I mistakenly hit NO instead of YES!

Though the reasons were entirely external (having nothing to do with my status in life, standard of living, health, etc. - not even relationships) my vote is still wrong...

 

[a_crazed_hobo]

I know nothing of this topic, as I'm only 22, yet I do suffer from depression. Anyway, I read an article in Details written by Augusten Burroughs where he stated that depression in men over 40 could be caused by lowered testosterone levels. The regular old "grumpy old man syndrome", he called it. I don't know if this has anything to do with what you're talking about, but I found it interesting nonetheless.

 

[sixthson]

No.........

 

[khushibagh]

Absolutely.

 

[barefootbob]

we all feel "down" at some point but depression - nah

 

[Inwood]

My grandmother is 87 years old and is on Zoloft. It doesn't go away.

 

[josher]

Yes, I did.

I was just thinking yesterday about the relationship between depression and middle-age.

It's often the time you finally realize your earliest dreams or goals aren't going to come true.

 

[Croynan]

Oh hell...there isn't a decade of my life so far that I've not struggled with depression to some degree or other.

i second the motion and i have the cancelled checks to back that up.​

eM.

 

[Riverrick]

I've struggle with it off and on since college. So age played no real role for me.

I can see how failing to meet certain of life's milestones may push people into depression later in life, though. For instance, not having kids or not having the successful career you always imagined, or not being in a long term relationship.

 

[metta]

I'm 49, but have not struggled with depression. Have I see others in my age group?yup. But I haven't felt the down side.
I guess I am lucky or just more aware of it.

I bet you that your partnered status contributes to that.

 

[Huskerboy]

I've had bouts of the stuff most all my life. It never got serious until I started having health issues a couple of years ago... Glad to see I'm keeping good company!

 

[sixthson]

I bet you that your partnered status contributes to that.

I think there may be a lot of truth to this. I suspect that people who have healthy, intimate relationships in their lives tend to be healthier psychologically, emotionally, physically, spiritually. It only makes sense.

The danger, of course, comes in dependence on others for all of our happiness. While others certainly makes us happy and bring great joy to our lives, if they are responsible for the totality of our happiness, wellness and peace of mind (i.e. lack of depression) that means they also have the power to make us unhappy, ill and troubled.

All of us have the obligation to ourselves and others to be as complete in all aspects of our lives, as humanly possible, and not place so much onus or responsibility on others for our happiness.

The question is whether we will be happy, content and at peace in our lives whether we are single or coupled.

More and more, I have come to believe that we need less shrinks and anti-depressants and more close friendships with people who will tell us the truth in love, even when it hurts. That means they may be a shoulder for us to lean on when we need it or a foot to kick us in the ass when we need that. This is true love and friendship. There are no pills that can achieve this.

 

[Yves]

The question is whether we will be happy, content and at peace in our lives whether we are single or coupled.

More and more, I have come to believe that we need less shrinks and anti-depressants and more close friendships with people who will tell us the truth in love, even when it hurts. That means they may be a shoulder for us to lean on when we need it or a foot to kick us in the ass when we need that. This is true love and friendship. There are no pills that can achieve this.

Great point. Close/Supportive friendships are essential. It's not uncommon to find gay men with no ties to family because of stigma/discrimination. Perceived social support from friends, relationship status satisfaction, and perceived social support from family have been described as significant mental health predictors.

The Gay Lesbian Medical Association (USA) (http://www.glma.org/) has compiled data on mental health issues in the GLBT community. Depression is one of our main problems. Some data (Go to the website for details and references):

Mental health issues in the general population
- "Approximately 40 million people in the United States aged 18 to 64, or 22 percent of the population, had a diagnosis of mental disorder alone (19 percent) or of a co-occurring mental and addictive disorder in the past year".
- "In later life, the majority of people aged 65 and older cope constructively with the changes associated with aging and maintain mental health. Yet an estimated 25 percent of older people (8.6 million) experience specific mental disorders—such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and dementia—that are not part of normal aging".
- "Only 25 percent of persons with a mental disorder obtain help for their disorder in the health care system".

Depression in GLBT population: Some trends described in the literature
- Homosexually active men have reported higher rates of major depression and panic attack syndromes than males who reported no same-sex sexual partners in the past year.
- Young homosexually active men may be at greater risk for depression than exclusively heterosexually active young men.
- Some researchers have highlighted the role of stigma, inadequate social support, lack of partner, denial of homosexual identity, internalized homophobia, lack of mental health services targeted to LGBTs, lack of health insurance, difficulties in the coming out process, etc as factors that influence the rates of depression among gay men.

One recent study (Mills et al, 2004) describes higher rates of distress and depression are in men who have sex with men (compared to adult US men). Prevalence of depression in men who have sex with men was 17.2%, higher than in adult U.S. men in general.
Both distress and depression were associated with lack of a domestic partner; not identifying as gay, queer, or homosexual; experiencing multiple episodes of antigay violence in the previous 5 years; and very high levels of community alienation. Depression was also associated with histories of attempted suicide, child abuse, and recent sexual dysfunction.
[Mills TC, Paul J, Stall R, Pollack L, Canchola J, Chang YJ, Moskowitz JT, Catania JA. Distress and depression in men who have sex with men: the Urban Men's Health Study. Am J Psychiatry. 2004 Feb;161(2):278-85]


I agree with Gareth. Anti-depressants and therapy have a role in some cases, but close friends are essential.

 

[metta]

research suggests that 44 is the age at which we are most vulnerable to depression.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7213387.stm