A new survey offers insights into the mental health challenges facing older adults in the U.S. Conducted by Caring.com in partnership with Pollfish, the survey polled 4,000 Americans aged 65 and older. The goal of the survey was discovering how prevalent anxiety and depression were for adults in this age cohort, what factors were affecting their mental health, and to provide resources.
Key findings:
- 1 in 3 anxious and/or depressed seniors have a clinical diagnosis, and many of them have lived with their conditions for over six years.
- More seniors use medications for anxiety and/or depression than take part in talk therapy.
- Current events is the highest cause of anxiety, while caregiving is one of the least-common reasons seniors say they feel anxious or depressed.
- Seniors find several positive ways to cope with their stressors, such as exercising or spending time with a pet.
Anxiety and Depression: Almost half (47%) of surveyed seniors say they have anxiety, while 17% note having depression only. Many respondents have both anxiety and depression. Almost one-third of polled seniors say they have a clinical diagnosis for their anxiety and/or depression. Women were more likely than men (34% compared to 30%) to have an official diagnosis. Many respondents (34%) have experienced anxiety and/or depression for more than six years. For others, these feelings go back even further, with about 16% of respondents saying their symptoms have been present since adolescence. Others have only recently developed symptoms. About 21% have experienced depression and/or anxiety for less than one year, and nearly 19% have lived with their condition for one to three years.
Medication and Therapy: Many older adults manage their anxiety and depression with prescription medications. More than 42% currently have medication for both anxiety and depression, and 46% have a prescription for one of the two conditions. The survey found that talk therapy isn’t as widely used. Three out of four seniors with depression or anxiety say they don’t attend therapy. About 17% of respondents say they used to go to therapy but don’t anymore. Some say they needed therapy for only a short time, for events like grief or a divorce (25%), while others didn’t find therapy helpful (22%). But talk therapy, according to Dr. Ken Robbins, who specializes in geriatric psychiatry, is actually the most effective way to treat mild to moderate anxiety. He said that from a psychiatric standpoint, talk therapy is at least as useful as medication for treating mild to moderate depression. But challenges exist getting people into talk therapy, including skepticism in talking to a professional vs. talking to friends or relatives. Paying for talk therapy is another barrier, or finding a therapist.
Caregiver Stress: Around 19% of survey respondents are caregivers for someone else, such as a spouse (43%), parent (23%), or child (12%). While caregiving is known to be a major cause of stress, only a small sample of respondents in this survey say that caregiving affects their anxiety or depression. “Caregiver pressure” didn’t crack the top 10 causes of senior anxiety and depression. Most seniors say their anxiety and depression come from other things, like getting older and worrying about what’s happening in the world.
Factors Beyond Caregiving Contributing to Depression and Anxiety:
- Health and quality of life; facing new or worsening health problems. Getting sick and not recovering ranks among the top three fears in the poll.
- Fear of losing their freedom and self-reliance.
- The possibility of developing dementia weighs on seniors’ minds came in as the sixth highest contributor to senior anxiety or depression.
- Where to live as one ages and fear of needing long-term care services and not being able to afford it.
- The unknowns of retirement: While the prospect of retirement is exciting, it can also make seniors feel uneasy because of the unknown factors. So much free time can feel overwhelming. Some seniors also have concerns about feeling unneeded, losing touch with loved ones, or having close friends and family die.
- Family Issues: While family offers support for many seniors, family can also be a major source of stress. Reasons include strained relationships, family issues, feeling disconnected from loved ones. Being estranged from one’s children, the death of a spouse, and loved ones’ illness and health decline and not being able to care for them is a source of stress.
- Current events have the biggest effect on anxiety and depression in seniors. When asked what affects their anxiety and/or depression the most, most seniors noted national or current global events such as politics, inflation, the fear of losing Social Security and Medicare benefits. Outliving their savings, the ability to pay medical bills or debt and not having enough money in retirement were factors seniors in the poll said contribute toward anxiety.
Modifying Your Risk Factors
Dementia: Dr. Robbins has good news about dementia: There are ways to modify your risk level. Whether you’ve been officially diagnosed, or just fear the eventual diagnosis, 50% of dementia risk factors are within your control. They’re the same risk factors you can control for cardiovascular disease: blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, drinking, obesity.
Exercise: “Perhaps the most modifiable risk factor is exercise,” said Dr. Robbins. “Exercise has a profound impact on the risk of dementia (as well as physical and mental health). It will slow the course of dementia. [Exercise] doesn’t eliminate the risk, it doesn’t stop dementia from progressing, but it has a very significant impact in both preventing and in altering the course of dementia.”
Daily meditation or prayer offers relief from stress. Meditation can organize thoughts, lessen panic attacks, and control anxiety in older adults. And exercise can lower blood pressure and anxiety in seniors.Walking, hiking and playing sports like pickleball improve seniors’ outlooks on life.
Hobbies help seniors unwind and recharge. About one-quarter of seniors say they use entertainment and hobbies to take their minds off stress and to lift their mood. According to the National Institute on Aging, older adults who take part in activities they enjoy may live longer, feel happier, and decrease their likelihood of developing some diseases, like heart disease or dementia. Common hobbies include watching television and movies, doing puzzles and brain games, reading books, crafting, listening to music, spending time outdoors, cooking, gardening and birdwatching.
Returning to work or volunteering are two ways seniors may combat a lack of a set schedule in retirement and to increase their social interactions.
Seniors get emotional support from their pets. There are many benefits of pets for seniors, including increased connection and a sense of purpose. According to the American Heart Association, pets also reduce stress for 95% of pet parents.
This article contains excerpts from the study and the accompanying article by Amy Boyington. Read the full article at the following link: 2025 Senior Mental Health Survey – Caring.com
