LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Depression affects older people at a higher rate than everyone else.

Seniors living at home with family are 20% more likely to experience depression than the average person. For those in the hospital, that goes up to 45%, and those living in a nursing home are 60% more likely to show signs of depression.

Signs include sleeping changes, appetite changes and unexplained aches and pains.

"Isolation is certainly a huge factor," said Jasmine Wadkins, UofL Health program director of Geriatric Psychiatry Unit. "COVID the last few years has been hard for all of us, even more so for the geriatric population. You'll also see that isolation also comes with a sense of losing purpose and connectedness to others. And lastly, for all of us as we age, we hurt. We have more aches and more pains."

Feelings of anxiety and depression can also be enhanced during the winter months. The American Psychiatric Association estimates 5% of adults in the U.S. suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder. 

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is one of those illnesses that specifically affects people during the winter months, when the weather is cold and the nights are long. SAD is a subtype of depression caused by lack of sunlight.

SAD is "much less common" during summer and spring months, when there are typically long hours of sunlight, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

Lighting has been shown to have a very strong affect on people’s sleep patterns, Vitamin D absorption and moods.

Although lack of sunlight is a primary factor in most cases of SAD, there are also other elements that can lead to depression during winter.

Weather is one factor. Colder temperatures, rain and snow can make spending time outside difficult and can decrease motivation to leave the home. It can also make outdoor exercise difficult; exercise helps produce endorphins.

When daily activities are hampered, particularly those that involve self-care, depression can worsen.

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