Self-assessment - Common mental health problems in later life

In this section we have provided you with a series of questions that you may find useful in checking understanding of some of the key messages and points. There are 10 questions in this self-assessment section.

1. Which is the most common form of mental disorder in older people aged 65+?

  1. Dementia
  2. Depression

The correct answer is b.

In fact, 10-15% of people aged 65+ are thought to suffer from depression, whilst 5% of people aged 65+ have been diagnosed with some form of dementia. This was mentioned in the ‘Introduction’.

2. The likelihood or not of developing depression depends on each individual’s circumstances and their own unique balance between risk and resilience, which, of course, also varies over time.

  1. True
  2. False

The correct answer is true.

This was mentioned in Section 1 – Focus on depression.

3. Depression in older people is often overlooked or its significance underestimated by GPs because they mistake the signs and symptoms of depression for normal ageing.

  1. True
  2. False

The correct answer is true.

This was mentioned in Section 1 – Focus on depression

4. Most people experience decreased capacity in terms of:

i) ____________ intelligence (a kind of short-term memory) as they age. However, this is often compensated for by the vast supply of ii) ___________ intelligence (knowledge) they may have at their disposal.

Which words complete the gaps?

  1. i) crystallised, ii) fluid
  2. i) fluid, ii) crystallised

The correct answer is b: i) fluid, ii) crystallised.

Fluid intelligence is essentially a form of short-term memory that enables people to hold onto information whilst they solve a problem. Crystallised intelligence – as its name suggests – is essentially all the knowledge that is stored away, ready to be called upon when needed.”

This was mentioned in Section 2 – ‘Focus on dementia’.

5. There are no biological changes associated with dementia, only psychological ones.

  1. True
  2. False

The correct answer is false.

In fact, dementia is an organic condition, which means that the deterioration associated with it involves distinctive biological changes. This is why the diagnosis of dementia normally entails the use of brain scans, as well as other tests and interventions.

This was mentioned in Section 2 — ‘Focus on dementia’.

6. Whilst dementia is the over-arching term used to describe intellectual deterioration, it can be caused by several different diseases or conditions. Which of these is the most common?

  1. Dementia with Lewy bodies
  2. Vascular dementia
  3. Alzheimer’s Disease

The correct answer is c: Alzheimer’s Disease

In fact, Alzheimer’s Disease (a physical disease involving the death of brain cells, which interrupts the flow of information between different parts of the brain) is the cause of dementia in over half of all cases (55%). The second most common form of dementia is Vascular dementia (20%). The third most common type of dementia is dementia with Lewy bodies (15%).

This was mentioned in Section 2 — ‘Focus on dementia’.

7. Opinion is unanimous that an early diagnosis of dementia is unhelpful.

  1. True
  2. False

The correct answer is false.

In fact, there are strong arguments in favour of an early diagnosis of dementia, despite the fact that surveys suggest that a significant number of GPs may consider the diagnosis of dementia as unhelpful.

This was mentioned in Section 2 — ‘Focus on dementia’.

8. ‘Graduates’ are adults who have used specialist services designed for adults with mental health needs and, upon reaching 65, start to use services designed for older people.

  1. True
  2. False

The correct answer is true

Estimates of the prevalence of ‘graduates’ range widely, from 11 to 60 per 100,000 population, with the national average thought to be in the region of 30.

This was mentioned in Section 3 — ‘Long-standing mental ill health’.

9. The largest group within the population of graduates are people with:

  1. schizophrenia
  2. bipolar affective disorder

The correct answer is a: schizophrenia.

In fact, schizophrenia is likely to be the main diagnosis for at least half, and possibly three-quarters of this group.

This was mentioned in Section 3 — ‘Long-standing mental ill health’.

10. The biggest set of issues facing those older adults with long-standing mental ill-health needs is the transition from adult mental health services to a different set of services altogether, those for older people and the potential loss of key relationships with service providers with whom they have established links over many years.

  1. True
  2. False

The correct answer is true.

This was mentioned in Section 3 — ‘Long-standing mental ill health’.