Aging and Mental Health∗

SUMMARY This report presents an overview of mental health and aging in Canada. It does so by providing some figures about various aspects of health, revealing the difference between physical disease and mental well-being. While our physical health declines as we age and we are more likely to suffer from various diseases including dementia, a disease of our cognitive abilities, the same pattern is not evident for mental health, mental illness, or subjective notions of our health. Normal aging does not include significant changes in cognition (memory and intelligence); mental illnesses such as depression are not more prevalent in old age than in the younger years; and seniors evidence equal and oftentimes better mental health than those younger (measured in terms such as happiness, life satisfaction, and sense of coherence). Perceptions of their health are overwhelmingly positive. The discordance in findings, depending on the types of health being examined, exposes the importance of a broad definition of health, including psychological and social elements in addition to biomedical aspects. It also supports a broad health promotion perspective for health care workers. After presenting a brief critique of Canada's provincial and territorial health care systems, the report discusses the advantages of a health promotion, population health approach and the important role social workers have to play. Incorporating such an approach into social work requires an empowering approach to clients through individual interaction as well as programs and policies.