Study Links Depression with Becoming Old, Useless

People are more likely to suffer from symptoms of depression and remain depressed for a longer period of time after becoming old and useless, a new study shows.

Published in the latest issue of Modern Psychiatry, the study indicates that depression affects 22% of the entire elderly population after they cease to be of any value whatsoever to society, and 48% of those not suffering from a dementia related condition that prevents them from either recognizing their worthlessness or experiencing higher order emotions.

According to its authors, their results were extrapolated from observations of 350 employed, physically active subjects under the age of 65 and an equal number of senior citizens relegated to a homebound life consisting of little more than staring at television or old photo albums full of pictures of relatives that are dead to them either literally or figuratively.

Although researchers hail this latest study for its groundbreaking insights, they say the reasons for these correlations remain unclear.

"Somehow the awareness of being utterly powerless to contribute in any meaningful way to the world around them while acting as a drag on their families' financial and emotional well being is evoking feelings of sadness in these individuals, but we're still not sure why," remarked the study's Principal Investigator, Dr. Thomas Marshall.

Marshall says that though the immensity of the unsolved puzzle of elderly depression remains daunting, he looks forward to pursuing future research on the topic, commenting that he'd sooner lay down and die than give up his life's work.