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NIMH Twitter Chat on Depression and Older Adults
• Science Update
The holidays are usually associated with feelings of joy and happiness, but for people with depression, this time of year can be especially difficult. Everyone feels down or sad sometimes, but these feelings usually pass after a few days. If feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and fatigue persist for weeks at a time, you may have depression.
Each year about 6.7 percent of U.S. adults experience depression. Depression often co-occurs with other serious illnesses, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, and Parkinson's disease. Because many older adults face these illnesses, a common misperception is that depression is a normal part of aging. While depression is common in older adults, it does not have to be a usual way of life.
Don’t let depression dampen your mood this holiday season. Please join the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) on Friday, December 20, 2013, from 2 to 3 pm ET for a Twitter chat on depression and older adults. Jovier Evans, Ph.D., who is Chief of the Geriatric Translational Neuroscience Program at NIMH will be on-hand to discuss the topic and answer your questions. Please use the hashtag #NIMHchats to follow and participate in the Twitter chat.
To ask questions, you must have a Twitter account. If you prefer to simply observe the chat taking place, you may enter #NIMHchats at twubs.com to view the conversation in real-time. An archive of the chat will be posted on NIMH’s website following the event.
If you have any questions, please email NIMHpress@nih.gov. See you on Twitter!