Depression in later life

For forty years, Nurjahan and her husband watched an Uttam-Suchitra film every Friday afternoon in the family house in Old Dhaka, the same few, over and over. Since he died, the DVDs have sat untouched beside the television. She is seventy-four. Her daughter video-calls from Toronto on Sundays. Nurjahan says she is fine, that her knees ache, that she sleeps badly. She has stopped going to the neighbour’s for tea, and has lost weight. At my age, she says, what is there to be happy about?

An illustration drawn from common experience. The person is invented; the pattern is not.

Understanding depression in later life

Depression in later life often looks different: less talk of sadness, more physical complaints, tiredness, poor sleep, loss of appetite, irritability, or memory problems. Loss, loneliness, pain and illness all contribute, and it is often dismissed as normal ageing, by families, doctors and older people themselves. It is not normal, and it responds to treatment.

How common is depression in later life?

In 2023, about 15% of adults aged 70 and over were living with a mental disorder, WHO reports, most commonly anxiety or depression.

Signs and symptoms of depression in later life

• Withdrawing from friends, prayer gatherings or family visits
• Weight loss, poor sleep, many physical complaints
• Saying life is not worth living, or being a burden
• Memory or concentration problems that are new

Treatment for depression in later life

Assessment looks at mood, memory, physical health and medicines together. Treatment can include talking therapy, medication chosen carefully for older people, and practical steps against loneliness. Families are part of the plan.

What getting better can look like

Getting better, for Nurjahan, might be tea at the neighbour’s again, an appetite returning, and, one Friday afternoon, Saptapadi on the television and Nurjahan humming “Ei poth jodi na shesh hoy” under her breath.

Common questions about depression in later life

Is depression a normal part of getting old?

No. Depression in later life is common and often missed, because families, doctors and older people themselves put it down to age, but it is not normal and it responds to treatment. WHO estimates that about 15% of adults aged 70 and over were living with a mental disorder in 2023, most commonly anxiety or depression.

What does depression look like in an elderly parent?

It often looks different from depression in younger people: less talk of sadness and more physical complaints, tiredness, poor sleep, weight loss, irritability or new memory problems. Withdrawing from friends, prayer gatherings or family visits is a common sign. An assessment looks at mood, memory, physical health and medicines together.

When to see a psychiatrist

If an older person you love has become withdrawn, low or unwell in ways that are new, please do not put it down to age.

Care here is personal: built around your history, your health and what you want to change, and reviewed with you as it goes.

If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 999 or go to the nearest hospital emergency department.

Sources

• World Health Organization, “Mental health of older adults” fact sheet, July 2026