Stress in Seniors

According to Statista, in January 2021, around 28% of adults aged 50 to 80 years felt depressed or hopeless for several days or more within the past two weeks. Moreover, 44% reported feeling stressed. This statistic displays the percentage of older adults in the United States who felt depressed, stressed, or nervous for several days or more within the past two weeks.

“Stress is a fact of life that most of us experience at one time or another,” according to Jennifer Tripken, Associate Director of the National Council on Aging’s Center for Healthy Aging. “But the unique relationship between stress and aging means that older adults and their families, friends, and caregivers should pay particular attention to what causes it, how to recognize it, and what to do about it.”

Stress and inflammation are closely linked. Stress negatively impacts the body’s ability to effectively respond to certain kinds of inflammation that lead to age-related conditions.

In other words, more stress equals more inflammation, and more inflammation when we’re stressed equals more (or worsening) health problems. These include cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis, Type 2 diabetes, arthritis, dementia, and cancer, to name a few. And stress accelerates the aging process itself.