For many seniors, the holiday season stirs memories of loved ones lost.

For others, a new illness or disability may keep senior citizens from doing holiday activities they have always loved, such as writing dozens of cards or cooking huge, festive meals.

As many as 15 percent of senior citizens may experience depression at any time during the year, said Dr. Helen Kales, assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Michigan and director of the geriatric psychiatric clinic at the VA Ann Arbor Health Care System.

And that may increase during the holidays.

But Kales has a holiday message for elders and those who love them:

"Depression is very treatable," she said.

For seniors, that means there's no reason to sit around feeling blue or assume that you can simply shake off depression - although that's what they may have learned in their youth.

"Depression may be something stigmatized. They may see emotional problems as a character flaw or personal weakness," Kales said.

Her reply: They're not.

"It's not something they did. It's something that can occur to a lot of different people, and there are ways of treating it," she said.

For seniors' adult children, holiday visits home often serve as first notice that a parent or elder relative may be depressed.

Although younger people often report feelings of sadness when they're depressed, up to 40 percent of older people don't.

Instead, look for:

• Loss of enjoyment of activities they've always valued. For example, if someone who loves knitting stops knitting, and there isn't a physical reason such as arthritis, it may be a sign of depression.
• A change in sleep patterns.
• A change in a person's demeanor. "Most people enjoy seeing their grandchildren," Kales said. "Suddenly, if it's irritating or makes them very nervous, that could be a sign."
• Talk of suicide or feelings of worthlessness or being a burden. Suicide rates among the elderly are disproportionately high, especially among men, Kales said.

Visit the doctor

Since depression can pre-sent the same symptoms as a number of common medical problems, such as low blood counts or thyroid disease, a visit to the doctor is a good first step.

If blue feelings are triggered specifically by the holidays, seniors and their families should make an effort to get them out of the house and enjoy activities with others.

If a more serious depression is diagnosed, treatment might include antidepressant drugs and individual or group counseling.

Groups may help

Kales said group counseling can be particularly effective, as seniors realize they are not alone.

"People may, in a group, band together and say, 'This is how I deal with it,'” Kales said.  "Sometimes that helps even more than a therapist saying it."

More information from the University of Michigan Health System
Home for the holidays? Watch for signs of depression in older loved ones, U-M Depression Center expert advises