Does Depression Have an Age Restriction?

Prisha Mittal et al.
Wed, 29 Apr 2026 14:30:00 PDT

Supporting UNSDG #3: Good Health and Well-Being, this project examines how mental health varies across age groups, with a specific focus on senior citizens. Notably, mental health is an important aspect of one's life. Factors such as environment and age can have a large impact; in fact, according to the World Health Organization, approximately 15% of adults aged 60 and over suffer from a mental disorder. Throughout the study, we used multiple sources to examine how various factors can influence the mental health of older adults. We conducted an interview with the director of Ridgeland Senior Living. We analyzed research articles reporting mental health statistics and trends across seniors who are 60 and plus. Data from the World Health Organization indicates that in people who are over 70, 14.1% have a mental disorder. Additionally, GHE 2021 shows that globally, around a sixth of deaths from suicide are from this age group. According to the findings from this project, mental health can decline vastly with age, especially when people face challenging environments or lack social support systems. Ultimately, this study highlights how different environments can influence the mental health of senior citizens. Understanding these factors better is important, as it enables society to implement stronger systems to provide more mental health resources.