Date: May 18, 2007
Contact: Barbara Schoof Conant
barbara.conant@aging.ks.gov
Director of Public Affairs
(785) 296-6154
The Kansas Department on Aging reminds Kansans that mental illness is not a normal part of aging. Older Americans’ Mental Health Week, May 21-27, 2007 is a good time to remind seniors and their families and caregivers that there is a difference between healthy grieving over losses and unhealthy depression, between normal worries and anxiety disorders, and between normal use and overuse of alcohol and medications to dull emotional and/or physical pain.
"We want Kansans to be aware of the symptoms of mental health and the availability of services," Secretary of Aging Kathy Greenlee said. "Being educated about the signs and symptoms of mental illness in seniors can reduce the stigma that keeps many older Americans from seeking help."
One in five Americans has a diagnosable mental illness, but fewer than one-quarter of older adults with mental illness gets any type of mental health attention, let alone appropriate treatment, she said.
Some additional facts to keep in mind:
Additional information can be found in KDOA’s “A Mental Health Guide for Older Kansans and Their Families” at www.agingkansas.org under the link for “Publications.”