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SINGAPORE : One in 20 elderly people suffers from depression - that is more than double the rate of people in their thirties.
An exhibition at Tan Tock Seng Hospital hopes to increase awareness of the signs of depression in older people. These include feeling down, coupled with a loss of appetite, insomnia and fatigue.
Doctors advise those who suffer such symptoms for more than two weeks to seek medical help.
Depressed patients are more prone to suffering from an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) and high blood pressure. And these can lead to heart disease and hypertension.
Doctors said there are many causes of depression in the elderly.
"It's caused by possible losses - like loss of health, loss of jobs, loss of family members. Of course, things like medical problems can also contribute to the feelings of depression and vice versa," said Dr Aaron Ang, a consultant at the Department of Psychology at Tan Tock Seng Hospital. - CNA /ls
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