How to Survive and Thrive in Your Golden Years: Aging and Mental Health

By Emily Wilson, LCSW

By 2023, 1 in 6 people in the world will be over the age of 60. Of those, 14% live with mental health issues. The most common mental health issues include depression and anxiety. Additionally, suicide is one of the leading causes of death among people 65 and older (WHO). This leads to the question: how did we get here, and why are we experiencing this epidemic with our elderly population?

Imagine this: You spend your life cultivating impactful connections, spending most of the day working in some form, enjoying the autonomy and independence that your body brings, and feeling confident in yourself and what the next day will bring. Then, much like the analogy of the frog in boiling water, things start to change—slowly at first, then all together. Retirement comes, impacting day-to-day activities as well as financial freedom. The body breaks down, and new pains, as well as changes in cognition, start to be more consistent. Those impactful connections slowly fade due to illness, isolation, or death. All the things that you were once confident in knowing about yourself start to fade.

Mental health plays a crucial role in how older adults experience their golden years, influencing not only their emotional state but also their physical health and quality of life. “The good news is that many of us experience greater resilience as we age,” said Kathleen Cameron, senior director of NCOA’s Center for Healthy Aging.

So what does this mean? How do we go from surviving to thriving in the golden years of life? The WHO has identified targets that are essential in aging successfully, including physical, nutritional, sleep, and mental health.

Physical Health

According to the National Institute on Aging, “Taking care of your physical health involves staying active, making healthy food choices, getting enough sleep, limiting your alcohol intake, and proactively managing your health care. Small changes in each of these areas can go a long way to support healthy aging.” It’s as the saying goes, “If you don’t use it, you lose it.”

Regular physical activity is not only healthy but also crucial for mental health. Exercise has been shown to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, improve mood, and enhance cognitive function, all of which are critical for maintaining mental well-being in older age. Studies show that daily physical activity can create more years without suffering from pain or disability. However, there’s a balance to be found. Becoming too thin or frail can increase risks for bone fractures, weaken the immune system, and cause exhaustion. Maintaining muscle mass can help older adults stay healthier longer. Researchers have found that in adults older than 55, muscle mass was a better predictor of longevity than weight or body mass index (BMI).

This leaves us with the question: what exactly do we need to do to cultivate muscle mass consistently? The CDC recommends that adults 65 and older get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity. This can include:

• Moderate-intensity activity: Brisk walking, cycling, or Zumba
• Vigorous-intensity activity: Hiking, jogging, running, or boxing
• Strength training: Twice a week
• Balancing activities: Three times a week

A way to achieve this goal would be reaching out to the local Silver Sneakers program, locating your local area agency on aging via an eldercare locator, or reaching out to your local church regarding any elder person activities and community programs.

Nutritional Health

The livelihood of a person is through their stomach. Research consistently shows that the Mediterranean-style eating pattern, which includes fresh produce, whole grains, and healthy fats but less dairy and more fish than a traditional American diet, may have a positive impact on health. A 2021 study analyzing the eating patterns of more than 21,000 participants found that people closely following the Mediterranean-style pattern had a significantly lower risk of sudden cardiac death (CDC).

Nutrition also plays a key role in mental health. Certain nutrients, like omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, can reduce the risk of depression. Maintaining a balanced diet helps stabilize mood and energy levels, reducing the risk of mental health issues. A low-salt diet called Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) has also been shown to deliver significant health benefits. Studies testing the DASH diet found that it lowers blood pressure, helps people lose weight, and reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease (CDC).

As previously stated, the elder locator to identify your local area agency on aging is a great resource! They may help identify transportation, food sources such as Meals-on-Wheels, and other supportive services.

Sleep Health

Sleep is a complex biological process that helps people stay healthy, process new information, and re-energize, thus, making it essential for healthy aging. If you’ve ever experienced a night where you didn’t get enough sleep, you might feel sick, irritable, depressed, or forgetful, which could cause falls or other accidents. One study looked at 8,000 people in their 50s and 60s who received six hours of sleep or less and were at higher risk of dementia. The correlation may be due to the concept that inadequate sleep is associated with the buildup of beta-amyloid (protein in Alzheimer’s) (National Institute on Aging).

Poor sleep can also exacerbate symptoms of depression and anxiety, which is particularly concerning for older adults. More and more evidence shows that individuals diagnosed with depression in previous years, who do not get quality sleep, may be more susceptible to experiencing depression symptoms again. The National Institute on Aging and the CDC state that older persons should aim for 7-9 hours of sleep. With that being said, this is still very individualized. Some may need 8 hours while others may feel satisfied with 6 hours of sleep.

Getting healthy sleep can be achievable. This includes creating a routine sleep schedule. This involves going to sleep and waking up at the same time each day, avoiding naps later in the day, and of course, exercising regularly (as long as it’s not before bed). Research also indicates that other interventions, including mindfulness meditation, can also improve sleep. Mindful meditation, which involves awareness and being present in the moment without judgment, has been shown to help reduce anxiety, stress, and improve attention and memory, as well as promote self-regulation.

Mental Health

Mental health is the “person’s emotional, psychological, and social well-being that affects how they think, feel, and act and is essential for all life stages” (CDC). This is critical for older populations, due to risk factors such as social isolation from technological changes, loneliness, and loss.

In a recent study with the National Institute on Aging, more than 11,000 adults older than age 70 found that loneliness was associated with a greater risk of heart disease. This tells us it is essential to stay connected. Staying in touch with friends, creating new relationships, taking or teaching a class—anything to keep connected—helps combat the devastation that is loneliness.

Even the way you think about aging is crucial to your mental health. Building positivity over time can help us become more resilient, meaning it helps us bounce back from challenges. If we hold negative beliefs about aging, studies show undesirable health outcomes, including Alzheimer’s disease and cellular aging. Positive beliefs may help decrease the risk of dementia and obesity.

Visiting the doctor yearly, and possibly more, depending on your health, is essential. Regular screenings can not only identify diseases but can be a mile marker for early detection, medication management, and chronic health concerns. Additionally, family doctors can play a crucial role in the healthcare journey, including connecting an elderly person with a therapist.

Therapy, like at all stages of life, can be a valuable tool for older adults. It helps them explore emotions, address underlying issues, and develop strategies to cope with the various challenges that aging brings.

Aging is a beautiful natural process and can bring adventure, joy, and love. Having the intention to care for oneself can set us up to fully indulge and enjoy all that aging life has to offer. As Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, but beautiful old people are works of art.”

InnerVoice Psychotherapy and Consultation is located in Chicago, IL and Skokie, IL.

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