Concerns

One of the main concerns is that there should be a stronger emphasis on caring for youth with depression as opposed to putting time, effort, and money towards the elderly. These people would argue that the elderly aren’t going to be around much longer so we should put more emphasis and resources into caring for youth than we should caring for the elderly. In addition, many elderly individuals are plagued with multiple health issues, some including mental health issues. Some of these mental issues may include dementia, Alzheimer’s, or severe anxiety, which only adds to the difficulty in treating their depression.

Pope Francis describes that our younger generations tend to push the elderly to one side because "the elderly are considered to be nuisances". There is an obvious disconnect between generations, commonly referred to as the “generation gap”. Francis stressed that a society that doesn’t respect and take care of the elderly "has no future".


The use of memoir therapy as a treatment for depression is another concern. Some facilities feel that they don't have the time or resources to dedicate to teaching health care professionals how to properly execute memoir therapy. While not necessarily difficult to learn, many are set in their old conventional methods of treatment and are not interested in implementing a new treatment option. 

The great part of memoir therapy is that anyone can facilitate it. Family members and friends are just as capable of assisting their loved ones with this type of therapy as health care professionals are. One of the first steps could be something as simple as a journal. Provide your loved one with a journal and encourage them to write in it every day. Each day, provide them with a new prompt to respond to. Possible prompts may include, "Write about your happiest moment", "Where is your favorite place you've been?" or "Write about your biggest regret". The key to memoir therapy is having them write in as much detail as possible. Have them reflect on their emotions, their thoughts, and their actions during these moments. At the end of the week, have them share with you what they've written. It may be beneficial to answer the same questions yourself and share your answers as well to show them that they do not have to feel vulnerable or fearful.