The link between Depression and Alzheimer’s is becoming much more apparent, as researchers find huge increases in mental health problems across the United States.

Depression Medication 

• The number of women who reported taking prescription medication for depression increased an unbelievable 484% over a period of 18 years. The number of women who reported using depression medication increased from 4.05% in 1990 to 19.6% in 2008.
• Men, who have a significantly lower prevalence of mental health, reported another huge increase of 413%. A meager 2.3% of men reported using prescription medication for depression in 1990. In 2008, it had jumped to 9.5%.

This massive increase in medication for depression emphasizes the huge medical catastrophe that is beginning to encompass our health care system and affect families across the nation. Long term care is becoming more common ever year, as depression and Alzheimer’s both increase at staggering rates.

Depression and Alzheimer’s

• The British Journal of Psychiatry recently released a five-year study of nearly 50,000 people that unearthed an extremely important piece of information regarding the connection between depression and Alzheimer’s.
• People who suffer from depression are twice as likely to develop cognitive diseases like Alzheimer’s.
• Alzheimer’s is one of the most common reasons people need long term care, and there is currently no known cure or reversal process. Depression has been proven to have a strong connection to Alzheimer’s later in life, so insuring yourself against this possible risk as soon as possible is an important way to protect yourself against the cost of care.