Women over 60 make up nearly a third of all hospital admissions for anxiety: New NHS figures show older women may have more to worry about

Women over 60 make up nearly a third of all hospital admissions for anxiety, NHS figures show.

Experts say many are unable to cope with the ‘emotional burden’ of caring for ill husbands, elderly parents or grandchildren.

Others may be affected by breast cancer, osteoporosis or insomnia or are just struggling to come to terms with retirement.

Experts have warned that older women might have a more pronounced predisposition towards anxiety because they have more to worry about

Last year a total of 8,720 patients were treated in hospital for anxiety of whom 2,440 were women over 60.

The highest numbers were recorded among women aged 65 to 69 with 437 admissions last year, according to the Health and Social Care Information Centre.

This compares to just 243 for men in the same age group and 328 among women a decade younger aged 55 to 59.
 
Across all age groups, women were far more likely than to be admitted for this condition comprising 60 per cent of all cases.

Marjorie Wallace, chief executive of the mental health charity SANE said: ‘Many women tend to take the caring role and it is not surprising that when they reach their 60s the emotional burden of care can become intolerable.

‘The majority of the carers who contact us are women, who may be responsible for partners facing illness, elderly parents, or children.

‘Women who find themselves bearing these responsibilities tend to neglect their own physical and mental health until they reach crisis point.’

Psychologists pointed out that once women reach their late 60s they are at higher risk of breast cancer, osteoporosis, insomnia and dementia.

Many also struggle to come to terms with retirement and miss colleagues, the structure of the working day as well as the salary.

Dr Jennifer Wild, consultant psychologist at the Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London said: ‘It might be changes in physical health and changes in socio-economic status.

‘We know that when women or men have physical health problems they are much more likely to be anxious or depressed.

‘That age group is much more likely to have physical health problems it may be breast cancer, Alzheimer’s, osteoporosis, there could be mobility problems.

‘Sleep problems also become more common and we know that when people sleep they are much more likely to become depressed.

‘It’s difficult to take things at face value without having some idea about what’s going on physically.

‘In that age group there may be changes in financial income due to retirement.

‘They may have changes in income and they may have anxiety around not working.’

The figures also showed that girls aged 15 to 19 are more likely to be treated in hospital for stress than any other group.

There were 306 cases last year compared to 172 for boys of the same age.

Admissions for anxiety and stress were marginally lower than last year, the figures show.

And younger age groups tend to be more likely to be admitted for stress while anxiety is commoner in older generations.

Alan Perkins, chief executive of the HSCIC, said: ‘Hospitals have dealt with fewer admissions for anxiety and stress compared to last year but the higher rates of anxiety in the older generation could be an area for concern.’

Sam Challis, of the mental health charity Mind, said: ‘The fact hospital admissions for stress were amongst the highest in women age 15-19, underlines the concerning scale of severe mental health problems amongst young girls.

‘Hospitalization in itself should be a last resort when it comes to mental health treatment.

‘It is an indication that a patient has reached crisis point, that they have nowhere else to turn and need urgent help.

Source Mail Online