1) Mental disorders vary according to age and gender. Schizophrenia typically occurs in young adulthood while anxiety disorders are more common in young adults. Alcoholism peaks in early midlife. 2) Women have higher rates of schizophrenia, depression, neurosis, and late-life depression while men have higher rates of alcoholism and drug addiction. 3) Environmental stress, powerlessness, and learned helplessness contribute to mental disorders which are more common in lower socioeconomic classes and women.

1. Stages of Adult DevelopmentStages of Adult Development
Chapter 14, Mental Disorders: Failure to cope:
Steven Mendoza, Ph.D. Adjunct Assistant Professor Lvx Et Veritas

2. Psychopathology:Psychopathology: Age & GenderAge & Gender
DifferencesDifferences
• Age
– Schizophrenia usually occurs in young adulthood
and continues throughout life
– Anxiety disorders more common in young adults
– Mental retardation is usually diagnosed early in
life
– Alcoholism peaks in early midlife
– Personality disorders decrease
• May be an artifact of measures and coping skills

3. Psychopathology:Psychopathology: Age & GenderAge & Gender
DifferencesDifferences
• Gender
– Differences emerge early in life
– Indications of differences may be due to
expectations
• Women higher in
– Schizophrenia, Depression, Neurosis, Late-life- depression
• Men higher in
– Alcoholism, Drug addiction
– Mental disorders higher in married women
– Mental disorders lower in married men

4. Psychopathology:Psychopathology: Stress &Stress &
helplessnesshelplessness
• Environmental stress is primary in most mental
disorders
• Powerlessness
– Women
– Lower social classes
• Mental disorders are 10 X higher in lower compared with upper classes
• Functional impairment faster for poor and less educated
– Social drift hypothesis
• Mentally disordered people are in the lower classes due to the fact that
they can not function in ways to move to the upper classes
• Learned helplessness
– Who most likely perceives themselves as not having control?
• Women, lower socio-economic classes, minority members, older adults
– This perception may or may not be accurate

5. Depression & SuicideDepression & Suicide
• Symptoms of Depression
– Painful sadness, lack of interest in life, inactivity,
pessimism, low-self esteem, difficulty in making
even simple decisions, dreams of being lost with
no one to help
• Does incidence increase with age?
– Rises over age 70, but linked to physical
limitations
• Depression often masked by hypochondriasis
– Physical complaint with no discernable cause

6. Depression & SuicideDepression & Suicide
• Therapy for depression
– Behavior modification
• Causation of depression-not enough
reinforcement
– Cognitive therapy
• Depression results from negative thought
patterns
– Thoughts, beliefs, assumptions & attitudes

7. Depression & SuicideDepression & Suicide
• Suicide is related to age, sex & race
– Males have highest rate
• White males rates peak in adolescence, drops until 50, then rises
to highest levels until very old
• Non-white males do not rise after adulthood except for Asian
males
– Rates are 4 X higher for males than females
– Why?
• More successful at attempts
– Women make more unsuccessful attempts (4:1)
– Young adults attempts to death (7:1)
– Older adults are usually successful in their attempts
• Why?
– Are they more “serious” about dying rather than a “cry for help?”
– Do they have less social support so it is less likely that someone will
intervene?

8. Brain DisordersBrain Disorders
• Acute
– Sudden onset such as heart attack or stroke
– Often treated successfully
• Chronic
– Often develop gradually, mild symptoms
– Progressively become more severe with loss of
abilities or dementia
– Two types: senile dementia (Alzheimer's) &
multi-infarct dementia

9. Brain DisordersBrain Disorders
• Senile dementia (Alzheimer's)
– Average age of onset for Alzheimer's is 75
– Symptoms
• Intellectual deterioration & emotional behavioral irregularities
• Brain atrophy, plaques and neurofibrillary tangles
• Estimated incidence
– 5% at 65
– 20% 85
– 40% 90
– Risk factors
• Lack of education & lower occupational attainment
– Increased education and demands of higher occupation may create a reserve
capacity that delays expression of brain disease
• Genetic risk- gene increase productivity of plaques
– Hope for future- pharmaceuticals

10. Alcoholism and Drug MisuseAlcoholism and Drug Misuse
• Alcoholism less common in elderly than
younger
– Drinking decreases after 50
– After 66, only 5% of males & 1% of
females are heavy drinkers
– Of the older adults who have drinking
problems
• Most had life long problems
• Started drinking in 20s

11. Alcoholism and Drug MisuseAlcoholism and Drug Misuse
• Psychoactive drugs used in mental hospitals
– 90% of those under 65
– 55% over 65 years
• Most prescribed drugs for those over 65 have
sedating effect which can exacerbate concerns
about aging
• Drug metabolism is less effective in elderly
leading to more pronounced effect
• Elderly more likely to fail to comply with
doctors orders when taking medication
– In 70s (2X) more likely to not comply than in 40s

12. Psychotherapy across life-Psychotherapy across life-
spanspan
• Youth
– Focus on identity and intimacies issues
• Elderly
– Less likely to receive psychotherapy more likely
to receive drugs
– Elderly may not seek treatment because they see
their symptoms as typical aging
– Therapists, in general, prefer to treat younger
patients whom are judged to be more “treatable”