Title : TIP26 consbro-MH 10-25-01gvp.qxd (Page 1)
 Description : 
 Keywords : 
 Author : 

-----------------------------------------------
Good
Mental Health
is Ageless



U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Center for Substance Abuse Treatment
Center for Mental Health Services
www.samhsa.gov

-----------------------------------------------
A healthy mind is 
as important as a
healthy body.



Good mental health can 
help you:
• Enjoy life more.
• Handle difficult situations.
• Stay better connected to your 
family, your friends, and your 
community.
• Keep your body strong.



1
Being in good mental health
doesn’t mean that you’ll
never feel sad, lonely, or
'down.’ But when these 
feelings disrupt your life or
go on too long, there may be
a bigger problem.



2

-----------------------------------------------
Unusual feelings of sadness or 
depression can happen when

• You have to move from your home.
• People you love get sick or die.
• You have to depend on others to get around,
or even to do the simple things you used to do
yourself.
• Physical health problems seem overwhelming.



• Being easily upset
• Not having the energy to do the
things you want to do, or used 
to do
• Changing sleep habits
• Increasing forgetfulness
• Being afraid of things
• Changes in eating habits
• Neglecting housework 
• Crying a lot
• Having trouble managing money
• Believing that you can’t do 
anything worthwhile
• Being confused
• Getting lost a lot
• Staying alone a lot of the time
• Spending little or no time 
with friends
• Feeling hopeless or overwhelmed
• Thinking life isn’t worth living
• Thinking about hurting yourself
3 4
In addition to feelings of depression, some of the following
changes in behavior may suggest other emotional problems:

-----------------------------------------------
Here are some things you
can do if depression or
other changes in your
behavior last longer than
two weeks:



• Talk with your doctor or other health
care professional.Tell them exactly
how you’re feeling, and let them know
how this is different from the way you
used to feel.They can check for any 
problems you may be having, and can
discuss treatment options with you.
• Share your feelings with a friend,
family member or spiritual advisor.
These people can sometimes notice
changes that you might not see.



5
• Ask for advice from a staff member
at a senior center or other program
you participate in.
• Call for information from the
National Eldercare Locator at 
1-800-677-1116, or speak with the
Federal Center for Mental Health
Services (CMHS) by calling 1-800-
789-2647 or visiting its Web site at
www.cmhs.samhsa.gov. These 
organizations can help you find a
program or provider near you.
• Check your local yellow pages for
organizations that can help.



6
©  Matthew McVay/Getty Images/Stone

-----------------------------------------------
At any age, help can support growth,
discovery, recovery, and happiness.

Call the National Eldercare Locator at:
1-800-677-1116
Call the Federal Center for Mental
Health Services (CMHS) at:
1-800-789-2647
or visit www.cmhs.samhsa.gov

   Check the box below to see 
if a mental health program or provider
near you has listed its address and/or
phone number.



For Health Care Professionals:
Do not reproduce or distribute this publication for a fee without
specific, written authorization from the Office of Communications,
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services.
This brochure was created to accompany the publication Substance
Abuse Among Older Adults, #26 in CSAT’s Treatment Improvement
Protocol (TIP) series. The TIP series and its affiliated products are
available free from SAMHSA’s National Clearinghouse for Alcohol
and Drug Information (NCADI). Call 1-800-729-6686 or 1-800-487-
4889 TDD (for the hearing impaired), or visit www.csat.samhsa.gov.
DHHS Publication No. [SMA] 02-3618
Printed 2001