ABSTRACT
This chapter examines how age, gender, and marital status are associated with mental disorder. The highest prevalence of mental disorders is generally found among people in the 25–34-year-old age group. Alzheimer’s disease is the mental disorder most often associated with aging. About three percent of the aged population has severe cognitive disorders resulting from dementia, and an additional five to ten percent may be moderately or mildly impaired. Depressive disorders are the most common disorder among older people. Gender is also a highly significant and consistent predictor of certain mental disorders. Although men and women seem to share equally in bipolar disorders, there are significant differences between the genders with respect to most mental problems. Marriage can be a protective factor in psychological distress if the quality of the relationship is good.
