Anxiety disorders become more common with age

Posted on : 2014-07-21 17:14 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST
Data show more elderly suffering anxiety, but many treating physical symptoms instead of seeking mental health treatment

By Kim Yang-joong, medical correspondent

Anxiety disorders are more prevalent among the elderly, statistics show, with the majority of patients visiting the doctor for such ailments being in their 70s and older.

The finding was announced by the National Health Insurance Service, which released an analysis on July 20 of health insurance treatment statistics for anxiety disorders from 2008 to 2013. According to the figures, the age group with the most patients was 70 and above, with 3,051 people per 100,000 seeing a doctor about the condition. The numbers were 2,147 for people in their 60s, 1,490 for people in their 50s, and 1,016 for people in their 40s.

The figures show that the number of patients suffering from anxiety disorders increases with age. The number of patients per 100,000 was three times higher in the 70 and older age group than the overall average of 1,101.

By gender, there were 1,401 female patients per 100,000 people, which was about 70% higher than the figure for male patients, 807 per 100,000. The total number of patients with anxiety disorders increased by 30% from 398,000 in 2008 to 522,000 in 2013.

Anxiety disorder, referring to pathological anxiety and fear, is a panic response that makes it difficult to breathe and go about one’s daily life. Common symptoms include pounding of the heart, increased pulse and blood pressure, with some patients complaining of other physical symptoms including dizziness and headaches.

“In South Korean society today, individuals are supposed to take care of themselves in their old age. It is pretty common for old people who were too busy looking after their children to prepare for their own retirement to deal with anxiety disorders when they start suffering from illnesses and other health problems,” said Yun Ji-ho, professor of mental health at National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital.

“Since anxiety also causes various physical symptoms, it is common for patients with anxiety disorder to visit other doctors instead of the psychiatrist. If an individual continues to experience symptoms such as dizziness, difficulty breathing, and pounding of the heart even after other tests come back negative, they should have a consultation with a mental health professional,” Yun said.

 

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