Depression and loneliness haunt senior citizens of Bahrain

TDT | Manama                 

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com 

Report by Zahra Ayaz

Old-age citizens suffer from depression, yet their mental health issues often go unrecognised as they are significantly less likely to receive psychological support than younger people.

Most of the people aged above 60 in Bahrain are suffering from various mental illnesses, including depression, and anxiety, caused due to loneliness, negligence and abandonment by family members, according to sources.

According to experts, limited mobility, loss of independence, and increase in medical expenses are the other common problems that affect all elderly, irrespective of their socio-economic status.

In extreme cases of depression, some patients show ‘socially disseminated behaviour’ and some depression cases go undiagnosed or untreated.

The authorities and many old age communities have launched many initiatives, including community level mental health care programmes and upgrading of mental illness treatment facilities, to benefit the elderly.

There is no effective way to encourage children to love and take care of their parents, he added, and depression caused because of negligence and isolation should be taken seriously. He urged children to love and take care of their elder parents.

A study reveals that social isolation and loneliness are widespread, with GGC reporting that up to one in five older people feel lonely and that isolation have a serious impact on older people’s longevity, their physical and mental health, and quality of life.

The effect of loneliness on mortality has been compared to that of other well established risk factors for mortality such as smoking, obesity and physical inactivity.

The Ministry of Social Development supervises several parental care homes, located in residential neighborhoods throughout the Kingdom, which take care of the elderly during the day.

It also provides them with social, health, psychological and recreational support and develops suitable rehabilitation programmes and services.

These homes are managed in partnership with the local community, including civil society and private sector organisations, they transform initiatives and programmes into projects that contribute to sustainable social development.