Older people in Portugal are less depressed than younger generations

According to a report from the National Institute of Health Ricardo Jorge, most older people in Portugal do not suffer from depression, and the prevalence of mood and anxiety disorders is generally lower in older age groups.

“Although ageing is often associated with sadness, loneliness, dissatisfaction and depressive symptoms, including due to losses and events that occur more often at this stage of life, most “older people do not experience depression,” says the report “Ageing in Health: Health Profile of the Portuguese Elderly Population,” published this Monday.

The paper says that although the prevalence of depression is lower among older people compared to younger age groups, “it is the most common mental disorder in the older population with a documented impact on quality of life and is an important predictor of mortality.”

“Due to the impact on quality of life and the fact that the symptoms characterising these disorders may present differently in this subgroup of the population, anxiety and depression remain a relevant aspect of public health,” stresses the report, which presents information from various national and European sources, health survey data and national studies up to December 2021.

The latest available data for 2019 indicate a higher frequency of depressive symptoms and depressive symptoms indicative of major depression among the Portuguese population aged 65 years and over compared to the European Union average.

As for dementia, the study says it “has a very low mortality rate in the 65- to 74-year-old population,” but is the sixth leading cause of death in those aged 85 and over.

However, it should be noted that in Portugal there is no epidemiological study reflecting the situation with this problem.

A review study focusing on EU Member States where prevalence studies have been conducted, excluding Portugal, provided estimates for the population aged 65 years and over of 5.9% to 9.4%.

The report said that overall, some aspects related to ageing in Portugal were similar to the European average, although in 2019 the older population in Portugal experienced higher levels of difficulty in performing daily activities, which had a “higher level of complexity that has an important impact on the participation and inclusion of this population.”

“The differences between Portugal and the European Union likely reflect differences in, among other things, material living conditions, health care practices and access to health care,” the authors say.

According to preliminary data from the National Institute of Statistics, older people accounted for about 23.4% of the permanent population in 2021.

Since 2000, the number of elderly people has exceeded the number of young people (0-14 years). In 2011, for every 100 young people living in Portugal, there were 127 elderly people, and in 2020 this figure increased to 167.

But population ageing is uneven across the country, the report said, noting that in 2020 the regions of Alentejo and Centro were the oldest, while Lisbon and Vale do Tejo, the Azores and Madeira were the regions with lower levels of ageing.

Population ageing has also contributed to the transformation of the labour market structure, with the number of employed people increasing between 2010 and 2020.

“The increase in average life expectancy, desertification and the transformation of the role of the family in modern society will certainly help to explain the observed changes and differences that arise between the regions of the country,” he emphasizes.

It was the regions of Lisbon (22%), Alentejo (22%) and Algarve (21%) that had the highest percentage of elderly people living alone, compared to the Norte region and the Azores, which had 17% each.