Daily News Analysis

Elder Mental healthcare

stylish_lining

Elder Mental healthcare

 

 

Why in the News?

The World Elders Day (1st) and Mental Health Day (10th) has been observed in the month of October, which is significant given the increasingly greying population of India.

Increasing old-age population:

              1. In the history of humanity, there are more older people on the globe now than ever before. 
              2. In 2022, the no. of people >60 years was 1.1 billion, comprising 13.9 % of the population, which is expected to increase to 2.1 billion, constituting 22% by 2050.
              3. A similar trend can be observed in India with 149 million older adults (10.5%) in 2022, which is expected to grow to 347 million (20.8%) by 2050.

Significant social challenges faced by elders:

        1. Increased dependency
        2. Social isolation
        3. Poverty
        4. Ageism
        5. Pessimism and nihilism 
        6. Vulnerable to emotional, physical, sexual, and financial abuse by others.
        7. Many towns and cities in India are not “elder-friendly” such as public buildings are inaccessible without ramps or handrails, pavements are non-existent, uneven, or used for parking, and public transport is limited.

Psychological challenges:

              1. Feel lost and becoming unproductive after retirement leads to depression.
              2. Indulging in other interests in life, be it music, sports, social work, domestic responsibilities etc. from a young age can helps mitigate such situations.

Mental health problems of Elders:

        1. Roughly 15% of elders (22 million in India) have serious mental illness. 
        2. The common mental health problems faced by elders are depression, anxiety, dementia, and substance use disorders.
        3. The “treatment gap“due to elders with mental illness not seeking treatment stands at a staggering 90% in India. 
        4. Pessimistic attitude among many healthcare professionals about treatment of mental health problems in elders due to low understanding of treatment with cure.
  • For instance, there is no cure for a neurodegenerative condition such as dementia, but there are treatments that can reduce their suffering, improve their quality of life, and reduce the burden on families.
        1. Double whammy of stigma: due to ageing and mental illness. Such stigma makes it difficult for families to admit the elder people’s mental illness and also creates reluctance to take them for treatment.
        2. The breakage of joint family system that had the advantages of multi-generational interactions and bonds which were crucial to the well-being of elders, can be one factor for increased mental health problems of elders.

Way forward:

              1. Creation of a network in the rural community to improve elders’ mental health by pooling in volunteers to create awareness about mental health problems elders face, seek help from service providers such as District Mental Health Programme. 
              2. Provide better access to mental health services for elders by the co-ordinated actions of the individual, families, civic society, private organisations, non-governmental organisations, and government to achieve healthy ageing.
              3. At the individual level, a plan for old age with financial savings and lifestyle changes to maintain good physical health and a satisfying social life has to be sorted.
              4. Healthy ageing, as a concept, should be introduced in the school curriculum.
              5. City and town planning should consider elder-friendly designs to improve mobility and reduce dependency. 

Inclusivity of People with Disabilities in STEM Education

Current Situation: India has nearly 63 million people with disabilities (NFHS-5), but their representation in STEM fields is very low. Despite strong laws like the Right to Educat
Share It

National Handloom Day and the Swadeshi Movement

National Handloom Day Date: Celebrated every year on 7th August in India. Significance: Marks the launch of the Swadeshi Movement on 7 August 1905, which promoted indigenous indus
Share It

World Trade Organization (WTO)

Why in the News? India recently called for significant reforms at the World Trade Organization (WTO) during a high-level mini-ministerial meeting in Paris ahead of the 14th Ministerial Conferen
Share It

Israel-US-Iran Conflict

Recently, tensions in the Middle East escalated dramatically as Israel launched “Operation Rising Lion”, a significant military strike aimed at Iranian nuclear infrastructure and balli
Share It

Philippines President’s Visit to India (2025)

In 2025, during the Philippines President's state visit to India, both nations elevated their bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership. The visit reaffirmed the 1952 Treaty of Friends
Share It

India's Participation in the 51st G7 Summit

India participated as an Outreach Country in the 51st G7 Summit held in Kananaskis, Canada in 2025. Key Outcomes of the 51st G7 Summit (2025): Kananaskis Wildfire Charter:
Share It

Quit India Movement (QIM)

India commemorates 8th August every year as Quit India Movement Day (also known as August Kranti Diwas) to honor the historic movement that demanded the immediate end of British colonial rule in I
Share It

National Waterway-57 (Kopili River)

The National Waterway-57 (NW 57), running through the Kopili River in Assam, has been officially operationalised, marking a significant step in India’s development of Inland Water Transport
Share It

Union Cabinet Approves National Sports Policy (NSP) 2025

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the National Sports Policy (NSP) 2025, aiming to address long-standing challenges and transform India into a global sportin
Share It

CIMMYT’s Financial Crisis

The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), a pivotal institution in the development of agricultural research for maize, wheat, and related crops, is facing significant financia
Share It

Newsletter Subscription


ACQ IAS
ACQ IAS