Advice Articles / Dementia and depression

Dementia and depression

Sarah Munson
3 minute read
depression dementia

Page contents

  1. Is there a link between depression and dementia?
  2. The Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia
  3. Why depression can be mistaken for dementia and vice versa
  4. Helplines
Page contents
  1. Is there a link between depression and dementia?
  2. The Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia
  3. Why depression can be mistaken for dementia and vice versa
  4. Helplines

Depression is a mental illness characterised by persistent feelings of sadness and despair. Depression is less common in older adults than younger adults but younger people are also more likely to seek professional help with their mental health.

According to statistics, around 22% of men and 28% of women over 65 years old experience depression. Dementia affects 7% of people over 65, increasing to 16% in people over 80.

Many people experience both of these illnesses in their lives. While there is no cure for dementia, depression is treatable.

Depression can be caused by all sorts of factors. Sometimes it can be triggered by a traumatic event, or by loneliness and monotony in your life. Sometimes it can happen for no discernible reason at all. You might have a great life but be unable to shake the pressing feeling of sadness. Being diagnosed with dementia and living with the difficulties that the condition can present is sometimes a trigger for depression.

Depression is more common in people with dementia than those of the same age who don’t have the disease. It is particularly prevalent with types such as vascular dementia, when people are more aware that they have the condition.

It can be more difficult to diagnose depression in somebody with dementia. This is because they may not be able to find the right words to express their feelings, analyse their experiences or remember how they felt at different times.

The Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia

The Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD) is a test that is specially designed to test for depression in people with dementia. It is an evidence-based test that is completed by an informant, somebody with a close and caring relationship to the person with dementia. The informant will answer questions about their observations of the person’s moods, behaviour, what they talk about and physical signs.

Why depression can be mistaken for dementia and vice versa

It is more common than you might realise for older people to think they are developing dementia but they actually have depression. Likewise, someone may think they have depression when really they are in an early stage of dementia. This is because the two illnesses can present similar symptoms.

Symptoms include:

  • Apathy. This is when someone loses interest in things they used to enjoy or interest in others. They may seem cold and distant.
  • Anxiety. Anxiety is a mental illness in itself but often goes hand in hand with both depression and dementia. The person may become worried, stressed and fearful of situations that didn’t previously concern them. They may lose confidence in attending social events, doing activities or performing everyday tasks.
  • Dysphoric emotions such as helplessness, frustration or anger. Someone with dementia or depression could become reckless in their decisions.
  • Eating or sleeping more or less than usual.
  • Poor concentration which can lead to it being difficult to remember things as they hadn’t been able to properly absorb the information.

Pseudodementia, or depression-related cognitive dysfunction, is a condition where cognitive abilities are affected by depression, mimicking symptoms one might mistake for symptoms of dementia. These could include poor memory, lost inhibitions or trouble with speech and language.

There are, of course, major differences between how the symptoms of both these illnesses present themselves. Symptoms of depression tend to come on very quickly and affect day to day life more intensely than the early stages of dementia. The order in which symptoms present themselves is also usually different; in dementia, cognitive symptoms like confusion and poor memory usually come before changes to mood and behaviour. People with dementia are more likely to have mood swings, while those with depression tend to have a consistently low mood and struggle to feel happy.

If you are concerned that you have symptoms for both depression and dementia, your GP can refer you for cognitive and mental health tests to find out if you have either, both or neither.

Helplines

Silverline: 0800 4 70 80 90
Dementia UK: 0800 888 6678
Age UK: 0800 169 2081
Samaritans: 116 123
Mind: 0300 123 3393

FAQs

Is there a link between depression and dementia?

Depression is more common in people with dementia than those of the same age who don’t have dementia. Dementia can also be a trigger for somebody to develop depression. Dementia and depression share some common symptoms, this, along with people with dementia finding it harder to express how they feel, can make it difficult to diagnose depression in somebody living with dementia.

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What symptoms do depression and dementia share?

Because they share some symptoms, depression and dementia can get mixed up and misdiagnosed. Common shared symptoms include negative emotions, a change in sleeping or eating patterns, poor concentration and anxiety. People with either condition can lose interest in things that used to matter to them, and seem distant or emotionless. In pseudodementia, which is a form of depression, people may also experience memory loss, loss of inhibitions and speech problems.

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How can I tell the difference between depression and dementia symptoms?

Depression comes on much more quickly and intensely than dementia. Symptoms also tend to present themselves in a different order between the two conditions. The best way to determine if you or a loved one has either of the conditions is to see a GP who will refer you for cognitive and mental health tests.

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Are depression or dementia treatable?

Depression is treatable through various methods such as medication, counselling and other forms of therapy. Many people fully recover from depression. Dementia, however, is a progressive illness caused by physical damage to the brain. While it can’t be cured, there are various therapies, lifestyle changes and medications that can help with symptoms.

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