Psychiatric illness and sleep in older adults comorbidity and opportunities for intervention

Psychopathology is common among older adults, with community prevalence rates as high as 15% for anxiety1 and 13% for depression.2 Further, although in recent years suicide rates have been higher in midlife than among older adults, older white men still have the highest suicide rate of any group.3 Although some may think that the onset of depression and anxiety among elders is understandable given the health and financial difficulties that may accompany aging, quality of life remains high. In fact, when external factors are controlled, age is not associated with quality of life.4 Thus, the development of psychopathology, or suicidal behavior, in late life is not inevitable