Honoring the Wisdom and Worth of Older Adults: A Psychiatrist’s Reflection on Senior Citizens Day

Every year on Senior Citizens Day, observed on August 21st, we pause to recognize and honor the invaluable contributions of older adults to our families, communities, and society at large. As a psychiatrist, I see this day not just as a celebration, but also as a powerful call to action: to reflect on how we as a society care for the emotional, cognitive, and psychological well-being of our elders, and to reaffirm our commitment to preserving their dignity, inclusion, and mental health.

On August 19th, 1988 President Ronald Reagan declared August 21st National Senior Citizens Day. Here is what he had to say: “For all they have achieved throughout life and for all they continue to accomplish, we owe older citizens our thanks and a heartfelt salute. We can best demonstrate our gratitude and esteem by making sure that our communities are good places in which to mature and grow older.” – President Ronald Reagan

Older adults are the quiet yet steady force behind so much of what grounds us. Their contributions span every walk of life including education, healthcare, business, the arts, public service, and beyond.

• In the workforce, many seniors continue to lead, mentor, and innovate, contributing not only their expertise but also resilience and wisdom shaped over decades.

• In families, they are caregivers, protectors of culture, and living libraries of memory.

• In our communities, they volunteer, advocate, and inspire, often uplifting those around them even while facing their own health or emotional challenges.

They are the bridge between generations, civil rights activists, teachers, veterans, healers, scientists, on whose shoulders we all stand on.

While we honor their achievements, we must also confront the emotional and mental health burdens that many older adults quietly carry:

• Depression is not a normal part of aging, yet it remains under-diagnosed and under-treated in seniors. Loss, isolation, illness, or identity changes after retirement can all contribute.

• Anxiety disorders, including health anxiety and generalized anxiety, often go unnoticed or are mistaken for physical symptoms.

• Cognitive decline and dementia are not only medical challenges but emotional ones, impacting sense of identity, relationships, and autonomy.

• Grief and bereavement, whether from losing a spouse, friends, or independence, can compound over time and contribute to emotional distress.

• Suicide risk increases with age, especially among older men, a fact that underscores the importance of meaningful connection, assessment, and early intervention.

  
  

We must recognize the broader societal factors that negatively affect older adults’ emotional and psychological well-being:

• Ageism in language, media, and policy not only disempowers seniors but diminishes their sense of worth.

• Healthcare disparities, including poor access to geriatric mental health services, leave many untreated or misdiagnosed.

• Social isolation, often due to retirement, bereavement, disability, or geographic distance from family, is a known contributor to depression, cognitive decline, and even earlier mortality.

• Economic insecurity undermines a sense of safety and dignity, often fueling stress and mental health symptoms.

• Elder abuse, whether emotional, financial, or physical, is devastating to mental health and remains deeply underreported.

  
  

These are not inevitable parts of aging. They are signs that our systems and supports need to evolve to honor the full humanity of older adults.

What Can We Do, Individually and Collectively?

As a psychiatrist, I’ve seen firsthand how compassionate connection, responsive care, and community support can profoundly shift an older adult’s emotional trajectory. Here’s how we can all play a role:

• Listen and engage meaningfully: One of the greatest interventions is presence. Check in, visit, call: connection is healing.

• Normalize conversations about mental health in aging: Challenge myths that emotional distress is “just part of getting old.”

• Promote access to geriatric mental health care: Encourage screening for depression, anxiety, grief, and cognitive concerns in primary and specialty settings.

• Invest in social programming: Community centers, intergenerational activities, spiritual groups, and volunteer programs can boost well-being and purpose.

• Support trauma-informed care: Many seniors carry unspoken trauma, from war, loss, discrimination, or family adversity—that impacts late-life mental health.

• Fight ageism in policy, media, and practice. Seniors are not “past their prime”, they are our living legacy.

• Strengthen elder protection systems: Detect and prevent abuse through training, awareness, and advocacy.

  
  

This Senior Citizens Day let’s move beyond celebration and toward transformation. Let’s create a world where growing older is honored, not feared; where mental health is protected, not ignored; and where every elder feels seen, heard, and valued. Older adults are not a burden, but they are a blessing. They are our historians, mentors, trailblazers, and guides. As we reflect on their lifelong contributions, let us also commit to building an age-inclusive and emotionally compassionate society. Because aging is not a decline, it’s a legacy in motion. And legacy deserves not just respect, but wholehearted care, mind, body, and soul.

Written by Kartiki Churi, M.D, MBA, FAPA

REACH Advisor